Silent Hope
by Erailea Evenstar
Summary: Keara, a mute teen, is summoned to the world of FY to help the Suzaku no miko and her seshi’s. But it would seem that simply helping them on their quest to summon Suzaku isn’t the only reason she’s there. What’s this other reason? ChichirixOC
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

Hello readers I just want to let any gymnasts out there know ahead of time that I'm sorry for any mistakes in this chapter. I was a gymnast myself when I was in elementary school so I do remember a good deal of things (even though that wasnearly 7 years ago), plus I like to watch competitions of TV when I know they're on.

Anyways, this is a Chichiri x OC fic. The OC's name is Keara (Kee-ra) if you don't know how to pronounce it.

Isn't it sad how there are so few stories out there where Chichiri strait? I think it is (not that I mind yaoi) so I wrote this (though it was also to help out my minor obsession. :) . Hope it's enjoyed.

On with the tale

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**Chapter 1**

An eighteen year old girl looked anxiously into a full length mirror on the wall. She has short brown hair tied up into a high pony tail with a red hair tie and blue-gray eyes. She wore a long-sleeved white gymnastics leotard that had 'USA' written on the chest area in blue.

"Keara you ready?" came the voice of her friend and teammate, Sara, as she emerged from the bathroom. She had short blond hair in a high ponytail, green eyes and was in the same outfit as Keara.

Keara nodded and got on her shoes before walking to the door. Sara smiled at her as they walked into the hall of the hotel. "You know Keara, I bet that if you could speak you'd have one heck of a singing voice that everyone would love."

Not being able to speak Keara raised an eyebrow in response, causing Sara to laugh. "Your personality is so sweet, even after all you've been through." Sara put her hand over her mouth, "I'm so sorry Keara! I shouldn't have said that!"

The mute teen merely waved the apology off. 'It's alright Sara. I've got to get used to it,' Keara told her through sign language.

"Right," Sara said sadly.

Keara had gone through some rather rough time in the last six months. First, one of her best friends had been killed when her boyfriend out too much of a drug in her drink (she had not been unaware that it had been anything but apple juice) and then two months later her boyfriend had died in a car crash caused by a drunk driver. Keara had been in the car at the time and had suffered from a knee injury, several broken ribs, hurt eyes due to the powder of the air bag getting into them (thankfully it healed perfectly) and countless cuts and bruises.

"How's your knee?" Sara asked after a while.

'Okay,' Keara responded, 'It hurts a bit, but it's bearable.'

"Be careful," Sara told her, "Don't push it too hard."

'This is the Olympics, I have to push it,' Keara replied with a silent laugh.

"True," Sara said with a chuckle.

The two girls walked to the main level of the hotel where they found the rest of the US team, both the male's and females. "Hey," the group said as they walked in.

"Ready for the competition?" The woman's team coach asked Keara as he clasped his hands on her shoulders.

Keara looked up to him, being over six inches shorter, and nodded. Keara was only five foot five, which was tall compared to most female gymnasts, but her coach towered over her with a height of six foot one. Gymnasts tended to be small because they constantly put strain on their bones and compact them. The constant activity also affects their hormones, which is why they sometimes have high pitched voices.

The team was a bit worried for her given all the problems she's been going through and the fact that her knee had given her a great amount of pain in practice the day before. Keara, however, refused to give up. She had trained hard for the Olympic and she was not about to back down without a fight.

"Then lets head over," her coach said with a smile.

Keara surveyed the arena as she set her bag down behind the uneven bars. She had seen the place before since the trials and team competitions had been held in it not a week ago, but she still loved the look of the place. The stands were full and the voices of thousands of people echoed throughout the entire building.

The competition that was about to begin was known as the 'all around,' which meant that that each competitor showed off their skills and worked for high scores for themselves and not for the team. Contestants where split up into groups based on skill and how tight the competition between them would be.

Keara had to bid her good friend Sara goodbye not to long ago because they were to be in different groups, but she was with another friend named Alex. This girl was four foot seven with short black hair tied up in a high ponytail, glitter was sparkling in it, brown eyes and a light bit of makeup on.

Alex and Keara 'chatted' lightly as they watched the contestants ahead of them go; one from Japan and the other from China. They pointed out the tiny mistakes and good points to one another. Alex knew sign language very well since her younger sister was deaf and was able to understand what Keara was saying from watching with her peripheral vision.

Alex was third to go and Keara gave her the thumbs up as she went up. Once up by the bars she put her hand up to tell the judges she was ready when they turned all attention to her. Alex did her routine with ease and mastery, until the dismount that is, where she took a large step backwards after losing her balance.

'Better than falling down,' Keara signaled to her as she went up to put chalk on her grips; a piece of material that covers gymnast's hands whenever they use the bars.

Alex huffed as she walked off. She was annoyed, but that was understandable since the competition for the three medals was going to be fierce.

Keara mentally prepared herself as she waited for the judges. Alex ended up getting a score of nine point one three. Keara made a face knowing that the score was low for the goal of getting gold. With a look over her shoulder she could tell Alex was far from pleased with it.

With a sigh she turned her attention back to the task at hand and signaled that she was ready to the judges.

Gymnastics was one of her passion and she had been doing it from when she was a child. She had gone through broken bones, pulled muscles, bad landing (including falling off the bars onto her back) and heart breaks from not winning medals at world championships. But through all this she grew stronger and more determined to do better so that when she competed again she could beat the person who had scored better than her as well as keep the rift between her and the one's just under her.

With three hard releases one after another on the upper portion of the bar the hardest part of her routine was completed. Now all she had to do was stick the dismount to get a good score.

As she released the bar and did her spins in the air before landing she heard and saw little, all her senses were focused on sticking the dismount. As she landed with her legs bent she knew she had done just that.

She put her arms in the air to show that she was in place and not moving before turning to the judges with one hand up. As she walked to her nodding coach she smiled. Her score came up on the board not to long later; nine point six four.

Her coach patted her on the back, "You deserve that score."'

Alex smiled and held out her hand, "Good job."

'To you too,' Keara signaled before giving her a high-five.

With the signal to move on the contestants moved to the next apparatus; for Keara's group that mean the vault.

If there was one apparatus Keara disliked it was the vault and that was because so much momentum was gathered as one ran down the runway and did their tricks off the horse that it was difficult to stick the landing. Alex however could not be more pleased since she was extremely good at sticking the landings on this particular apparatus.

Keara watched as everyone went before her. As to be expected Alex score high with a nine point six five two. 'Beat that Keara,' Alex signaled to Keara from the other end of the apparatus as she walked off.

Keara gave a silent laugh and looked down at her feet to make sure they were lined up on the ground right so that she get the right amount of speed. With a raise of her hand Keara was ready for the difficult maneuver she was about to pull. She had only stuck the vault once, but had fallen a great many times.

She ran down the runway as fast as she could all the while keeping her rhythm. As she neared the springboard she did a hurtle and her feet landed on the 'sweet spot' of the board. The momentum she had and the force of the boarded was more than enough to give her the needed air to do the three summersaults in tuck before landing with a step back.

With a sigh and a smile she walked off to her coach. She was glad that she had landed it when it was needed. The move itself was very difficult, even for the males and they were said to be able to get even more power out of the board.

The difficulty of the routine paid off however as she saw her score of nine point six seven two. Normally the step she had taken would have hurt her, but because the degree of difficulty was so high on the routines it did not.

Next the group moved to beam where the scores were once again good with Alex getting a nine point five two six and Keara getting a nine point six eight three.

The last routine the group would have to do was floor. Keara smiled brightly knowing all too well that this was her strongest area. She loved the floor, since it was the one place that she could dance around and pull off tricks at the same time.

She was the last to go and she knew she had to get a high score to beat the Romanian in another group who currently had the place for gold. This was her last shot and she had to get at least a nine point seven six four to beat her and claim the gold medal to be the worlds best women's gymnast for four years.

As she got ready for her final routine she cleared her mind of everything but the 'dance.' With a signal she went up and did her thing; flips, turns, dance moves and other such stunts, some of which were very difficult.

Keara walked off with a slight limp as her knee throbbed. She was both amazed and glad it hadn't given out during the routine. She waited in anticipation by her coach for her score to come up. It seemed like and eternity, but when she saw it tears filled her eyes.

A perfect ten.

It was a very rare score to see, but it was very possible to get. She had won the Olympic gold; it was her second gold and last medal of the games. She would not compete in the singles due to her knee, but if she had there was no doubt in her coach's mind that she would have gotten a medal of some kind in every event she did.

Her coach picked her up and she waved into the stands as tears of joy ran down her face. It was a day she was not soon to forget.

It was not long later that Keara stood on the podium receiving her gold medal and flowers with the Romanian girl getting the silver and the Chinese girl getting bronze. As the national anthem played she held her hand over her heart and mouthed the words that were not played.

When it was done playing she raised the flowers into the air and waved with her free hand as she smiled with glee. Cheering was heard throughout the arena.

vvvvv

Taiitsukun stood watching the spectacle through her magical mirror. She was an old lady that floated in the air as if gravity didn't exist. She had long grey hair, a gold ornament on top oh her head, a kimono like green dress and a long pink ribbon like material floated all about her.

A smile played on her old face, "So this is the girl Suzaku wants to be brought here to help his miko. Interesting..."

---

What is Suzaku up to? How is Taiitsukun going to get Keara there?

Find out in the next chapter.

Please review.

Thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Fushigi Yuugi

Thank you _Bishiglomper _(:gets glomped: ack, can't breath XD) and _Kai_ (O.o a gun! Ep…) for reviewing.

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**Chapter 2**

A blue haired monk sat peacefully in his bedroom in the capital city of Konan meditating. His bangs defied gravity as the stuck up into the air at a slight arc and he had a thin, but long, pony tail that was mid back in length. He wore a beaded necklace with small red and larger green beads around his neck, a white shirt, a blue cloak with bubbles on it (also known as a kesa) strapped over one shoulder, brown pants that came to just below his knees where a white material with black thin material curling around it met and ended just above his ankles and black slipper like shoes.

A screech of, "It's a sand-witch!" brought the monk from his meditation. He picked himself up off the floor and left the room calmly.

"You should give warning before appearing like that!" The same voice from before yelled.

The one yelling was known as Tamahome. He was an eighteen year old boy with black hair, violet eyes and the mark of the ogre on his forehead. He wore a red and white tunic with a white shirt under it, tan pants and black boots.

"Taiitsukun no da," the monk said with a smile as he saw the reason from Tamahome's yelling.

"Chichiri," Taiitsukun said with a nod, "I have a job for you to do."

"A job for me no da?"

"Indeed," Taiitsukun said. "Come and I shall explain."

Chichiri nodded and followed her inside the palace itself.

vvvv

Keara yawned as she got out of her hot shower the morning after the competition. She had gotten little sleep due to the fact that she and her friends had stayed up to watch a movie and have a small celebration over Keara's gold medal.

"I agree with you Keara," Sara said as she sat up in bed, "I could do with more sleep too."

Sara and Keara had decided to go into the city, Sydney, to go do a bit of sight seeing. They did, after all, have several hours to burn before the men's all-around competition.

With another yawn Sara got out of bed and had a quick shower. When the two girls were ready they left the hotel walked around the streets in the 'land down under.'

Keara had her small backpack on her; she always traveled around with it. Whenever she saw something she liked and wasn't too big she would buy it and put it into her bag for safe keepings until they got back to the hotel.

The two friends 'conversed' with one another as they walked and pointed out different things that caught their interest; people, stores, knickknacks and buildings.

vvvv

Chichiri walked down the hall looking for one of his comrades. As he turned the corner he found the one he was looking for exiting his room. "Tasuki."

Tasuki turned to the monk, "'ey there Chichiri."

Tasuki was eighteen with wild red hair, light brown eyes, extended teardrop like earrings, a necklace with green and purple beads and a slightly larger necklace with red and gold colored beads. He wore a dark blue trench coat with light blue trimming, a white shirt under it, a gold like strap from his right shoulder which held his enchanted metal fan (known as a tessen) on his back, a brown belt around his waist, white pants and dark blue boots that came up to his knees.

"I need your help with something no da," Chichiri told him.

Tasuki blinked in confusion, "And what would that be?"

"Come, I'll explain on the way to the gardens no da," Chichiri replied, "We don't have much time to do this."

vvvv

Keara finished her piece of pizza as she walked down the street with Sara. It was now one in the afternoon and there was not much time left before they would have to return to the hotel to meet the others to go to the men's gymnastics competition.

"Hey Keara, want to walk through the park before we head back?" Sara asked.

Keara nodded and smiled. They changed their direction slightly and headed in the direction of the park they had seen earlier in the day.

vvvv

"You ready Tasuki?" Chichiri asked from his meditation position on the ground.

"Ya I guess," Tasuki said as he made sure he had a good grip on his friends' kasa (straw hat).

Chichiri said a few words lightly and Tasuki disappeared from view.

vvvvv

Sara laughed as Keara skipped down the path a little ways, "I think you're having too much fun."

'Is there a such thing?' Keara 'asked' with a questioning look.

"Guess not," Sara said with a laugh. She looked to her right and smiled, "Well I'm going to go check out some of the local hotties if you don't mind."

Keara gave a soundless laugh, 'I don't mind.'

Sara smiled and walked over to where a group of boys their age were playing a game of soccer, commonly known as football to them. The boys stopped playing when they took notice of her and began laughing and chatting away.

Keara looked up at the sky for several moments until someone bumped into her. Whoever it had been hadn't even bothered to stop and apologize, instead they kept walking forward at a quick pace. Keara raised a brow and noticed that they had dropped a hat, she recognized it was an Asian style straw hat and gave a small smile.

She picked it up and looked for the person who had dropped it. At that moment there was a flash of light and she knew no more.

* * *

Next chapter we're completely in the world of FY. How indeed is everyone going to react to her being mute? And how is she going to reacted to being summoned? 

Find out in the next chapter.

Please review

Thanks.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

Thanks for reviewing _Bishiglomper

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_

**Chapter 3**

Keara awoke to voices speaking in Japanese near her. "You think this is right?"

"Taiitsukun said it was no da."

"The point?" the voice from before asked. "She's just a kid."

Had she been able to speak Keara would have yelled at whoever it was for calling her a kid. So many people thought she was around fourteen because she had reached maturity late due to her training in gymnastics. She decided making them think she was asleep was perhaps the best idea however, since she didn't even know where she was or if these people meant her harm for that matter.

"We already have to worry about Miaka, now this girl is only going to add to the problems!"

"Hush Tasuki. You'll wake her no da."

"Ah," Tasuki grumbled, "I don't care anymore Chichiri. That place she was in was too weird for me."

Chichiri laughed, "I would have loved to go no da."

"Next time you can."

"I had to get you there and back no da," Chichiri pointed out, "I can't possible do it to myself no da."

'No da?' Keara thought to herself, 'Why does he keep saying that?' Keara knew Japanese fluently, for understanding and writing it anyway, she did not know the sign language part however.

"That's tough for you now isn't it," Tasuki said.

Chichiri made a pouting noise, "You don't have to be so mean about it no da."

Keara couldn't take it anymore; she was very curious as to who her captors were. She opened her eyes and sat up.

"Ah you're awake no da," Chichiri said. "I'm Chichiri and this is Tasuki," he motioned to the redhead next to him.

Keara looked back and forth between them in confusion. They seemed too nice to be people that would kidnap someone. Perhaps they were just doing this Taiitsukun person's dirty work.

Chichiri, seeing the confusion and slight bit of fright in her eyes said, "You're in Konan and we're not going to hurt you no da."

"What's your name kid?" Tasuki asked.

Keara gave him a look that told him that she did not like being called a kid. She doubted that the two before her knew sign language and doubted even more that they would know the English version if they did in fact understand sign language. However she figured that if she did the hand movements that they would figure out that she was mute.

At the movement of her hands instead of her mouth Tasuki became confused, "What's with the hand motions!"

Chichiri put his head to the side in curiosity, "Can't you speak?" Keara shook her head. "Well that's something Taiitsukun didn't mention no da."

"Figures," Tasuki said, "We have to get a mute!"

Chichiri gave Tasuki a disapproving look, "Just because she can't speak doesn't mean anything no da."

Keara frowned at the two of them before touching her hand to her shoulder and realizing her bag wasn't on her. Chichiri noticed this and grabbed it off the table behind him, "Looking for this?"

With a nod Keara took the bag from the monk. Tasuki sighed, "How old is she anyway?"

"Why are you asking me?" Chichiri asked, "She's right there no da."

"Ya but I can't understand her!" Tasuki said.

"You think I can no da?"

Keara shook her head before taking out a sketchbooks and pencil and. She wrote out the word 'eighteen' in Japanese before holding it out for him to see.

Tasuki looked at the paper before getting wide eyed, "You're eighteen! No way!"

Keara nodded and wrote 'yes way' on the paper before showing him again.

Chichiri laughed, "See Tasuki. She's older than Miaka no da."

"I guess so," Tasuki mumbled. "Buy why'd Taiitsukun want us to get a girl who can't even speak?"

"I don't know," Chichiri said, "She just said she's supposed to help Miaka."

"How?"

"I don't know no da!" Chichiri said slightly louder than before in an attempt to get that point across as he waved his arms about childishly.

Keara gave a silent laugh at the monk's antics before she closed her bag and put it on her back, sketchbook with the pencil in it still in her hands. She wondered if Sara was freaking out over her absence.

At that moment a man with short spiky black hair and blue-gray eyes walked in. He wore yellow and purple material around his forehead, a white shirt coved mostly by a yellow long sleeve jacket like shirt with blue and red trimming, a green sash around his waist, blue pants that ended a bit past his knees, skin tight gray-green material went from his pants ends to his ankles and blue slipper like shoes.

"Hey Mitsukake," Tasuki greeted.

Mitsukake gave a curt nod as he walked up to Keara, who backed up to the wall. "Don't be frightened young one," he told her, "I just want to make sure you're fever's gone."

'Fever?' Keara questioned in her mind. She had been perfectly fine before she had somehow ended up in this weird place where everyone spoke Japanese.

"She's my age Mitsukake," Tasuki said, "She's not as young as she looks." His tone of voice revealed that he did not quite believe the words coming from his own mouth.

Mitsukake merely gave a small chuckle as he touched Keara's forehead, which she made a face at, "As I thought. It's gone." He pulled away from her and looked to the two behind him, "Seems you've frightened her with pulling her here."

"I guess so no da," Chichiri said softly, "Hadn't meant to do that."

"Well you did," Tasuki said as he crossed his arms.

Chichiri gave him a confused look, "You're the one that went and got her."

"Ya but it was your plan," Tasuki said in defense.

"Actually Taiitsukun is the one that gave the idea no da," Chichiri pointed out.

"Well you put it in action!" Tasuki yelled at him.

Chichiri turned chibi and ran under the table, "Tasuki's scary no da!"

"Get out of your super deformed mode Chichiri!" Tasuki yelled at him, "That'll scare her even more."

"You should look behind you no da," Chichiri said as he wrapped his small arms around the leg of the table.

Tasuki did as told and found Keara's shoulders shaking with soundless laughter. He walked up to her and pointed his finger at her face, which was a few inches away, "Why's that so funny?"

Keara stopped laughing and look at his finger before trying to bite it. Tasuki recoiled and fell on the floor in surprise, "What the hell was that about!"

"Perhaps you should keep your fingers away from her face no da," Chichiri said before he came out from under the table and jumped on the bed, still in 'super deformed' mode. "What's your name?"

Keara blinked at him. They had brought her here and did not even know her name, now that was strange. She wrote 'Keara' in the book and the way to pronounce it since it wasn't an Asian name.

After one mistake Chichiri pronounced it correctly, "Keara! That's a name I've never heard before," the last part was more to himself than anyone else.

"Chichiri!" A female voice came before the bearer was seen.

Chichiri turned back to his normal form as the girl came running into the room, "What's wrong Miaka no da?"

Miaka is a fifteen year old girl with red-brown hair tied up into two buns on either side of her head and brown eyes. She wore her brown Japanese school uniform and black shoes. "Have you seen Tamahome?"

The blue haired monk shook his head. Mitsukake was the one to answer her question, "Last I saw him he was with the emperor."

"Thank you!" she cried as she ran down the hall towards the main chamber.

Keara raised a brow. The girl wore cloths that she was used to seeing, unlike everyone else that around her. 'Perhaps they kidnapped her like they did me,' she thought to herself.

Chichiri looked back to Keara to see her look down sadly. "What's wrong Keara?"

Keara looked up and raised her hands up with weary smile to signify that it was nothing. Chichiri did not buy this however, but decided to let it slid as he figured that she was confused as to why she was here.

"Taiitsukun said she'd be back to explain everything to you no da," he told her with a smile. "I have to admit it confused even me," he looked as if he was thinking about something.

"What!" Tasuki cried, "It confused you! When do you get confused!"

"I'm only human no da," Chichiri said in defense.

Keara sighed and leaned against the wall as she began to draw something in her sketchbook. Mitsukake had left the room just before Chichiri had spoken of Taiitsukun and now he and Tasuki we arguing back and forth on his intelligence.

After a few moments they noticed she wasn't paying attention and were curious as to what she was doing. Chichiri looked over the top of the book to see a drawing upside-down.

Keara turned the book so that he could see it properly. Chichiri laughed and pointed to himself, "It's me no da!"

Indeed the picture was of him in his chibi form when he had been clinging to the table's leg not too long ago.

"So you draw huh," Tasuki said with a smirk, "It's not too bad."

"I think it great na no da," Chichiri said with glee.

At that moment Taiitsukun appeared in the room, "I see you've done what was needed Chichiri, as to be expected."

"Taiitsukun no da," Chichiri said as he got up.

Keara looked at the floating old lady with curiosity, but not fright like most who meet her for the first time do. 'So she's the one that ordered me here,' she thought to herself.

"Indeed I did," Taiitsukun said.

Keara looked at her in surprise, 'She can read my thoughts!'

Taiitsukun smiled, "Yours alone, yes. This was done since you cannot voice your concerns or opinions."

Chichiri and Tasuki looked back and forth between Keara and Taiitsukun. "I think we're missing something," Tasuki said in bewilderment. Chichiri nodded, but said nothing.

"Chichiri, Tasuki," Taiitsukun said.

"Hai?" The two questioned.

"Leave us," she told them. The two did not ask questions as it was very clear that they would not be able to sway her into letting them stay.

When they were gone and away from the door Taiitsukun turned all attention back on the mute teen before her. "You are probably wondering why you are here, am I correct?"

Keara nodded and put her sketchbook to the side before looking back to her, 'I have to be home for the guys, so can I please go?' she thought.

Taiitsukun shook her head, "Unfortunately I cannot do that."

Keara was shock by this, 'Why? I was brought here by you, or whoever it was. Why can't I be sent back the same way?'

"Because you are here for a reason," Taiitsukun said, "And we cannot send you back until your purpose is completed."

'What?' Keara thought in confusion.

"Suzaku granted Chichiri the power to bring you here and will not grant him the power to send you back until your task is complete," she further explained.

'Suzaku?' Keara questioned before she thought a moment, 'You mean one of the ancient Chinese gods?'

"I don't know about ancient, but he is the god of this region," Taiitsukun said. "He wants you here to help his miko and seishi's."

'Help his priestess and followers?'

"Good you understand that much," Taiitsukun said.

'Not really,' Keara thought as her shoulders sagged down is confusion and slight depression.

"Trouble is brewing quickly and you are needed to act as a buffer, so to speak," Taiitsukun said. Keara made a face at this, causing Taiitsukun to chuckle, "By that I mean that you are to help with whatever problems occur and lighten what pain you can."

"You yourself have seen and been through many troubling things," Taiitsukun continued, "We need more than one person in the group with that kind of knowledge and experience, as well as a person with your attitude."

'Attitude?'

Taiitsukun nodded, "Despite everything you've been through you put on a 'mask' of glee so as not to worry others. This attitude might very well save a great amount of people." She smiled, "This is much like another member of the Suzaku seven, though he is more literal to this."

'More literal? Who and what are you talking about?' Keara thought

Taiitsukun smiled, "That is for you to figure out. But you should know that once Miaka, Suzaku's miko, has summoned him forth you will be able to return to your world."

'My world!'

"Hai. This world is very different from the one you came from, but they are strangely linked," Taiitsukun told her. "I must be off now, the best of luck to you."

'Wait! What I supposed to do!' Keara screamed in her mind.

"Follow Miaka," Taiitsukun said as she disappeared into thin air.

'Follow Miaka…?' Keara was left to herself to think over what she had been told. 'One who wears a mask? Perhaps it is someone I have not yet met…'

* * *

As to be expected Mitsukake and Chichiri are calm, but Tasuki freaks. Lol. So how is Keara supposed to help the gang?

Find out as the story progresses.

Please review

Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

Yey, I got a bunch of review! Thanks so much for reviewing _Chichiri's Wanderer_, _Bishiglomper_ (Lol. That's cool, at least you can kind of relate to her, which is always good in a story. At least I think so anyways), _Lord Pengu_, _Jurori_ and _Amaya-san_.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Tasuki and Chichiri were in the gazebo within the palace grounds over looking a pond. The bandit leader was sitting on one of the banisters looking over in the direction of the now setting sun while the monk leaned against the adjacent banister looking down into the water.

"Any clue as to what Taiitsukun is telling that girl?" Tasuki asked.

"Keara? Probably about her purpose here no da."

Tasuki nodded, "That's right, her name's Keara. What a strange name."

"It might be common where she's from no da," Chichiri told him.

Silence fell between the two friends as their minds wandered to places only they knew, unless someone could read their mind that is. Things were starting to get rather strange and all anyone could do was follow and hope nothing went too wrong.

The calm silence was broken as Tasuki yelped and fell off the banister into the pond. Chichiri looked over quickly and smiled beneath is mask at the confused form of Keara with her finger outstretched as if to poke someone.

"What'd you scare me like that for?" Tasuki yelled up at a still confused Keara.

Keara put the hand that had once been out behind her head and gave a silent nervous laugh and mouthed, 'Gomen,' though she doubted he could lip read.

"Did you just mouth 'gomen'?" Chichiri asked. Keara looked to him and nodded in surprise. Chichiri's mask curled in a smile, "I got it right no da."

Tasuki jumped out of the pond and landed on the banister in a squatting position, "You should give warning before you touch someone when their mind isn't there!" He shook his head like an animal would to get the water off of them.

Keara cringed slightly as the water hit her. "Tasuki!" Chichiri cried as he jumped back, "We all don't need to get wet no da."

"Ah," Tasuki grumbled uncaringly.

Keara gave the sign for 'bad boy' before pushing him back into the pond. Tasuki let out a surprised cry as he fell in once again and Chichiri laughed aloud as Keara did the same, only silently.

"I really hate women!" Tasuki yelled from the water.

Chichiri's laughter subsided, "I suppose Taiitsukun is done with you no da."

Keara nodded and looked down the path to the palace as someone yelled, "FOOD!" and ran past the gazebo. In the brief moment she had seen the running girl Keara recognized her as the one who had been looking for someone by the name of Tamahome earlier. She guessed the person running after her was that very boy.

Tasuki was back to sitting on the banister by this point, "That's Miaka for ya. It's always about her stomach." When Keara turned to look at him he quickly jumped onto the ground to prevent falling back into the pond.

Keara gave a smile as she saw him quickly move off the banister and turned her attention back to the path. She made a face and cringed when Tasuki hugged her from behind while saying, "You got me soaked, so this is my revenge."

A slightly angered look came to her face before she smiled devilishly. Being that Tasuki was behind her he did not see it, but Chichiri did and put his head to the side in curiosity. He broke out laughing when Keara flipped Tasuki over her shoulder with ease.

Tasuki yelped as he went through the air and groaned as he made a bad landing. "Ow, that hurt. What's with this girl?" Tasuki muttered to himself as he stood up, holding his lower back with one hand.

Keara gave a silent sigh as she rubbed her now soaked shoulder. "Do you have cloths to change into no da?" Chichiri asked.

She was about to shake her head when she realized that she did have one of her gymnastics leotards from when she had used her bag for practice. She did not want to be a burden and ask for cloths so she nodded her head, besides, she didn't mind wearing her leotard since she wore one almost everyday for several hours.

"Tasuki you should change too no da," Chichiri said as he looked over to his friend, "You don't want to get sick no da."

"Ya, whatever," Tasuki walked away, still holding his back lightly.

Chichiri motioned for Keara to follow, "No need to get lost no da. I'll lead you back to your room."

Keara nodded and followed the blue haired monk. She was thankful that he had volunteered to help her since she had no clue where anything was, much less the room she had left a few minutes ago.

It wasn't long before they reached her room, "Here we are no da. You want me to wait for you?"

Keara gave a nod and quickly disappeared into her room. She grabbed her bag, which was still on her bed, and pulled out the black leotard before she sighed. She forgot that it had USA written on it from the world championships the year before. With a shrug she quickly put it on and pulled out the pair of black spandex shorts with the Australian flag she had gotten in a store back in her world. Instead of putting back on her shoes she grabbed her gymnastics slippers (they look like ballet slippers, but the material is a bit thinner and they're white) and slipped them on.

With dry cloths now on she grabbed her sketch book, figuring she'd need it to 'speak', and walked out of the room. Chichiri, who had been leaning up against the wall next to the door patiently, stood up strait. "Ready for su-" He stopped mid sentence as he saw the skin tight outfit she was in.

Keara raised a brow since she did not get why he had stopped speaking. Had Chichiri not had his mask on she would have seen him gawking at her, but he did have his mask in place, which he was thankful for.

Chichiri cleared his throat, "Right, off to supper." He turned on his heels and walked in the direction of the dinning area.

With a slight quicken in her pace Keara was walking at Chichiri's side. Feeling a bit awkward Chichiri asked, "How long have you been mute? I mean has it been your whole life, or just part of it?"

Keara raised one finger. Chichiri was confused for a moment before realizing what she meant, "It must be hard not ever being able to speak, not ever knowing what your voice is like."

With a shrug of her shoulders Keara showed that it did not bother her as much as he thought it did. A sudden thought struck her mind, 'He hasn't said 'no da' since I came out of my room… strange.'

"Something the matter no da?" Chichiri asked.

Keara gave a silent laugh through her nose before shaking her head, 'So much for that idea.'

"Here we are no da," Chichiri said happily as the entered a room with a long wooden table, lots of food and seven people sitting around the table.

"Where have you been Chichiri! I'm starving!" Miaka cried before he bottom lip began to tremble.

"Gomen Miaka no da," Chichiri said as he brought Keara to a chair next to someone she had never met before. He sat on the other side of her.

"Hi there, I'm Nuriko," the person next to her said. Nuriko has long violet hair that was braided and even lighter colored eyes that glistened in the light. He wore a white tunic with blue running down the middle, a yellow sash around his waist, pink pants and black slipper like shoes.

"You must be the girl Tasuki's been talking about," Nuriko said with a smile, "Was it you who got him all wet?"

Keara gave a silent laugh as she nodded. Tasuki was not so gleeful, "How'd you know I was wet!"

"Tasuki your hair is still dripping," a young boy with pink hair in a high pony tail and green eyes said, "Plus we saw you going to your room to change." He wore a green and yellow tunic with a red sash around his waist and purple slippers. He seemed the youngest of the group.

Tasuki growled, "Thanks Chiriko!"

"There's no need to yell about it Tasuki," Tamahome said with a shrug, "So a girl beat you up, get over it."

"She didn't beat me up! She shoved me into the pond!" Tasuki yelled in defense.

"Actually the first time you fell off after she just touched your shoulder no da," Chichiri said.

"Chichiri!" Tasuki yelled. The monk laughed nervously.

"Can we eat now?" Miaka asked.

There was a laugh from the end of the table, "Of course Miaka." Keara looked down the table and found a rather handsome man dressed in royal robes and a strange hat upon his head. His long black hair was tucked up under the hat and his light brown eyes shown with happiness. His attention turned to Keara, "My name is Hotohori. What is yours?"

"She can't speak Hotohori-sama," Chichiri said.

"And she has a really weird name," Tasuki said before shoving a dumpling into his mouth.

"Weird name?" Hotohori questioned.

"Why can't she speak?" Miaka asked with her mouth full, causing Keara to make a face.

"She's mute no da," Chichiri said.

"Mute?" Miaka said and looked to Keara. Her eyes widened with surprise and she swallowed hard at noticed the writing on what she thought was her shirt, "Are you American!"

Keara nodded slowly, not sure where the discussion was going. "That's so cool!" Miaka cried. "Do you think you can help me with the language?"

Keara gave her a nervous look and moved one of her hands in a motion that you would use when someone is talking too much before she shook her head. This was to remind the gleeful girl that she was unable to speak.

"Oh, right. I forgot," Miaka said in embarrassment.

"Forgot?" Tamahome questioned, "Chichiri just told you a minute ago!"

"I got all excided," Miaka said with a pout.

Chichiri nudged Keara, "You should eat no da."

Keara nodded and began to eat neatly. Miaka laughed, "She can even use chopsticks."

"What do you mean by that?" Chiriko asked.

"Where she's from they don't use them," Miaka explained, "They use other utensils." She thought a moment, "Wait a second, you understand Japanese too?"

Keara rolled her eyes and nodded. 'Duh, how do you think I could answer you before,' Keara thought with a slight laugh.

"Why is it that you are here?" Hotohori asked, "Tasuki said something about Taiitsukun."

Chichiri looked to her since he was curious himself. Taiitsukun had given him very few details, but strict orders, before. Keara was visibly nervous at the question as she was used to being around at least one person who knew sign language, but now that no one around knew it she was slightly lost. She remembered that she had brought her sketchbook with her though and reached under the seat for it. She opened to the page she had used to write on before, which happened to have the picture of chibi Chichiri on it, and started writing something down.

Nuriko looked down and the book and laughed, "Cute drawing." Keara looked up and gave a thankful smile before returning to writing her message.

"I don't know if Chichiri should head for the hills or take that as a complement," Tasuki said, playing on Nuriko's comment of the drawing as he knew what he had been complementing.

Chichiri turned chibi and started running around the room while screaming 'daa!'

"I didn't mean it like that!" Nuriko yelled.

Keara laughed silently when Chichiri was running around, but upon hearing Nuriko's remark he stopped yelling and sat back in his chair before turning back to normal.

Keara pocked Chichiri's arm with the eraser before touching it to the corner of the paper where a small message was written. He read it and laughed; it had said, 'You're a goofball.'

With a ripping noise the piece of paper was torn from the sketch book and she motioned for Chichiri to pass it to Hotohori. "Thank you," the emperor said as he took the paper.

"What's it say?" Tamahome asked.

Hotohori was quiet for a moment, "She said that Taiitsukun told her she is to help us summon Suzaku."

"How?" Nuriko asked, "I thought that only the miko's can summon the beast gods with the help of their seishi's."

"Perhaps she's not supposed to help with the summoning of Suzaku," Mitsukake said from opposite Keara, "Perhaps she's supposed to help us get to that point."

"But what can she do?" Tamahome asked, "I don't mean offense Keara, but you don't have a power like us."

Keara shrugged her shoulders. Nuriko turned to her, "Say, we never got your name because Miaka asked a question. What is it?"

"It's Keara no da," Chichiri answered for her.

"That is a strange name," Nuriko said to himself.

Once again Keara shrugged her shoulders. What more could she expect from people living in an ancient Chinese civilization.

Nuriko put his hand over his mouth, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you!" Keara waved the apology off to show that she didn't care. Nuriko smiled, "But hey, I like your cloths. Wish I had something like that."

Keara looked at him oddly and leaning a bit away from him, which happened to put her closer to Chichiri, who laughed at her. "Don't worry, Nuriko's gay no da."

Nuriko laughed lightly, "It's true, but I do like those cloths."

With a nervous nod Keara sat up strait. She opened to a fresh page in her sketchbook and wrote, 'These aren't really cloths one should wear around,' before showing Nuriko.

"Really?" Nuriko asked, "Is it because they're form fitting?"

Keara shook her head and wrote, 'It's a leotard used for gymnastics.'

"Leotard? Gymnastics?" Nuriko questioned.

"What is this 'gymnastics' no da?" Chichiri asked since he had been reading the message as well.

"You do gymnastics?" Miaka asked. When Keara nodded Miaka said, "That's cool. I don't think I could ever do all those crazy things you guys do."

"Crazy things?" Tasuki asked as his interest was caught.

Keara gave a silent chuckled before opening to a drawing of a girl, who happened to be her, in the air after doing a release on the high bar. Nuriko's eyes widened, "You can do those things!"

With a nod Keara went to a blank page and wrote, 'It's not all that difficult for me.'

"Not difficult!" Nuriko cried, "I think I'd even hurt myself!"

Keara save a small smiled and wrote, 'Gymnastics isn't for everyone.'

"I guess so," Nuriko said.

"Can I see that again no da?" Chichiri asked. Keara nodded and turned to the page before handing it to him.

"Let me see what's got Nuriko acting weirder than normal," Tasuki said. Nuriko growled, but kept himself from throwing a bottle of sake at his head.

Chichiri tuned the book so that Tasuki could see it, "You draw real well no da." Keara gave a thankful smile.

"Damn!" Tasuki yelled, "You do those kind of things!" Keara nodded, "You're joking!" With a shake of her head he knew it was no joke.

Chichiri flipped the page and saw a picture of a girl, Sara, doing a flip on the balance beam, her head close to the beam as it always is when pulling that particular stunt. When he showed it to Tasuki he acted no better than before, if anything it was worse.

Mitsukake smiled, "Perhaps this is one of the reasons she was brought here."

"To pull crazy stunts!" Tasuki cried.

"No," Mitsukake said, "You have to be courageous to pull off maneuvers such as those, especially when you know the risk of getting hurt is likely to be high. That courage will come in handy in the near future."

Keara blushed. Never had she been called courageous for pulling off her routines; crazy, idiotic and determined, yes, but not courageous.

Perhaps Taiitsukun and Suzaku were right to think that she could help.

Then again, they could have made a huge mistake.

* * *

Miaka is certainly her regular ditsy self. Don't get me wrong, I like Miaka, but she sometimes annoys me (mainly with the cries of "Tamahome!" and in return he yells "Miaka!" XP ), but she's a funny character to watch and I can relate to her in some ways.

Oh and I know Tasuki can't swim, but I didn't know how deep the pond was -;; so lets just say it wasn't deepenough for him to drown in. Lol.

So what are the up coming events?

Find out some in the next chapter.

Please review.

Thanks you!


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own Fushigi Yuugi

Thanks for reviewing _**Bishiglomper**_ (lol. I thought it was a fun idea too), **_ladysakaya_ **(well gymnastics is more than being flexible. I could never be a human pretzel, lol, but I can do a full split), **_Tohmas _Girl **(yey no gun! Moves will be seen in a few chapters), _**Lord Pengu**_(aw, thanks) and _**Chichiri's Wanderer**_ (Lol. That's good to hear, I was a bit worried when I first posted this story)

* * *

**Chapter 5**

It was dark out now and only the light given off by the crescent moon and torches illuminated the palace grounds. Millions of stars decorated the sky in a manner Keara had never seen before, even at her home where there was little light pollution.

Sleep was not on the mind of the mute teen as she sat on the ground and look up at the sky. Too many things were going through her mind for her to find any sliver of fatigue large enough to make her body know that it was time to rest. Questions such as 'Am I the right person to help,' 'Am I truly as courageous as Mitsukake thinks I am,' 'How did the guys go' and 'when will I get home,' were troubling her mind.

Had she a voice she would have screamed in agitation, but she had to rest with screaming mentally and giving herself a headache. With a sigh she lay down with her hands under her head.

'_You should get some rest no da,"_ the voice of Chichiri came to her. He had told her an hour and a half ago to do this when he had led her back to her bedroom.

Taiitsukun's voice was the next to visit her busy mind, _"Despite everything you've been through you put on a 'mask' of glee so as not to worry others. This attitude might very well save a great amount of people_._"_

'It couldn't save Jason,' Keara thought bitterly. If there had been one person she would have done anything to save it was Jason. He had always been there for her and always thought of her before himself. Unfortunately he was gone and there was no way to bring him back.

The stars seemed to twinkle sadly down at her and she felt a few stray tears form in her eyes. She quickly sat up and wiped them away from her eyes and mentally cursed herself for letting herself nearly cry again.

"You alright no da?" a familiar voice said from behind her.

Keara looked behind her to find Chichiri standing there looking down at her. When she nodded he said, "You should be getting rest no da. You've had a big day." He knew something was troubling the teen, but decided it was better not to press further since he did not really know her.

"I'll lead you back to your room," Chichiri said, a small smile played on his mask.

With a small nod she followed him trying her best to remember every turn and how many doors down the hall her room was. It did not take long for the two of them to reach her room for the third time that day.

Chichiri turned to her, "Sleep well no da." Keara gave a small smile and nod as well as a simple motion to show that she wished him the same thing.

She entered her room and closed the door before sighing sadly. Sleep was still far from her, but she hoped it would soon greet her and take her to the world of dreams.

She noticed a small bundle of cloths on the table and walked over to inspect them. They consisted of a pair of white pants, long sleeve white shirt, blue tunic and light blue sash to go around her waist. 'Cloths for tomorrow I suppose,' she thought to herself as she put them back down neatly.

After inspecting her cloths from earlier she found that they were dry, 'Guess I'll sleep in these.' With that decided she changed and let her hair out of its pony tail so that it was laying its full length; to her shoulders.

As she crawled into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin she found that she was now amazingly tired for some reason. It didn't take long for her to fall into the world of dreams where they were plagued with memories that had not died when Jason was buried four months ago.

vvvv

The next morning rolled around and Keara found herself being awakened by a ray of sunlight on her face. With a yawn she stretched out her limbs before climbing out of bed and changing into the cloths that had been put in her room the night before.

After putting her shoes on and putting her hair up she walked out of the room, where she was blinded by the sun. 'It burns,' Keara thought to herself with a silent groan before smiling, 'And I'm not even a vampire.'

She wandered out to the gazebo. No one was there, but that did not seem to bother her as she walked into it. Being a bit bored she did a handstand and let her feet gently lean against one of the beams.

"What are you doing?" the familiar voice of Tasuki came to her ears.

Keara opened her eyes and looked at him; he was upside down to her. Tasuki was giving her a curious look while his hands where folded over his chest. She closed her eyes and set her feet on the ground. When she was upright she turned to the red head and striated out her tunic, which had come up when she had been in the handstand.

"How'd you stay up like that?" Tasuki asked since he had not seen her feet on the beam. With a silent laugh Keara did another handstand, but did not lean against anything, before rolling out of it.

"I couldn't balance like that," Tasuki said quietly.

Keara smiled and walked up to him and gentle hand on his stomach area and upper back. Tasuki was confused and blushed slightly, but as he felt the gentle pressure on his back he understood what she wanted him to do.

He bent over and put his hands on the ground. When he felt one of Keara's hands move to his legs he knew to kick up. Keara was forced to catch his legs with one arm as he did not push with enough force into the kick up. She brought them up so that they were directly over his head and made him point his toes with the use of her other hand.

"Oi, this is weird," Tasuki said a bit loudly, "Everythin's upside down."

"What are you guys doing?" Nuriko asked as he looked into the gazebo.

Keara turned her head to him before setting Tasuki's feet back on the ground. He striated out his trench coat and ran a hand through his hair after standing up, "Well that was fun."

With a small smiled she nodded and walked to Nuriko. "Morning… Keara right?" Keara nodded in response. Nuriko smiled, "Well you must be hungry, let's go get something from the kitchen for you."

Tasuki was left in the gazebo, not that he cared. His left hand drifted to his stomach where Keara's hand had once laid, a small blush coming to his cheeks, "What was with that…?" Not being from her world he had no idea that what she had done is exactly what a coach would have done to someone learning to do a handstand.

"Those cloths look good on you," Nuriko said with a light laugh, "Looks like I picked out the right things."

Keara pointed to him then to herself with a curious look on her face. Nuriko was slightly confused, "If you're asking if I left them in your room the answer is yes."

With a thankful nod Keara mouth, 'Arigato.'

"You're welcome," Nuriko said with a smile. "I wasn't sure if I should have given you a dress or not, but after thinking of those drawings you showed me I thought that pants were better." Keara nodded to show that he had thought right.

As the two of them neared the kitchen they met up with Chichiri. "Morning no da," he said happily.

"Morning," Nuriko replied. Keara smiled and gave a curt nod.

"We leave later today no da," Chichiri told them. Keara raised a brow in curiosity. "We're going to go find the shinzaho in Hokkan, the capital of the northern lands. We need it to summon Suzaku no da."

Keara nodded as she understood. To be sent home Miaka needed to summon Suzaku and if that meant that she needed to get this 'shinzaho' in another land so be it.

She just wanted to get home.

vvvv

Keara stood at the port looking at a rather large boat for the time period. The craftsmanship left her in a state of awe; she'd never see boats like this in her time. There was a slight rustle behind her and when she glanced over her shoulder she found Tasuki hiding behind a tree. She raised a brow at him.

Tamahome seemed to notice Tasuki as well and took the opportunity to torture the poor bandit. "You can't swim can you?"

"Of course I can!" Tasuki yelled.

Tamahome smirked and picked him up as he ran to the edge of the dock, Tasuki screaming like a girl the whole way. Keara let out a silent laugh at the spectacle.

Chichiri came up to her side, "Want to explore the boat no da?" At Keara's nod he grabbed her hand and ran onto the boat with her.

The monk acted much like a child as he ran about chibi style ooh-ing and ahh-ing at everything. Keara smiled and laughed soundlessly as she watched him more than she looked about the boat.

As he came running back towards her he tripped over him kesa, which for some reason had been dragging on the floor, and fell flat. Keara jogged up to the fallen monk and knelt down. Chichiri looked up a second later and gave her the victory sign to show he was alright.

She gave out a silent sigh and shook her head before standing up. Tasuki came up behind her and placed a hand on her head, "There you two are. Tamahome, Miaka and Nuriko just left."

"Where to no da?" Chichiri asked, still in chibi form.

"Hotohori told Tamahome that his family could stay in the city while we're gone, this way he doesn't have to worry over them. The three of them set out to bring them here."

Keara moved out from under Tasuki's hand and moved towards the front end of the ship. Tasuki looked at her retreating form in slight surprise, "Something bugging her?"

Chichiri went back into his normal form, "She seemed fine a moment ago no da… Perhaps she's homesick after hearing about Tamahome's family."

* * *

Poor Keara, she's homesick and unable to communicate all that well. 

So what mess it she going to get herself into in the future?

Please review

Thanks.


	6. Chapter 6

I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

Thank you _Songwind, __Everqueen_ and _Bishiglomper_ for reviewing.

Sorry for the late update, I've been busy.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

The next day proved to have a vale of depression hovering over it. Tamahome and the others returned and they found out that his family had been mercilessly slaughtered by one of the Seiryuu seven, a boy named Suboshi to be exact.

After hearing the news Keara herself seemed to float into a world of her own, a world that told the others to leave her be.

Farewells were said and the group set out on the boat to Hokkan, leaving Hotohori behind since he was the emperor of Konan and could not leave his duties despite his desire to do so. He gave Miaka his holy sword, which Taiitsukun had given him, and in turn she gave him her old teddy bear that she cherished.

Keara sat out on deck leaning against the siding, watching as the water rippled and turned on itself as the boat cut through it. Her mind was lost, but her reasoning was not. Death was a very touchy subject with her since she had seen and felt too much of it and the pain it carries in its wake.

Despite the fact that she had never met Tamahome's family she could still feel the pain that brewed within him. He may refuse to reveal it, but he was hurting greatly.

"_You are to help with whatever problems occur and dullen what pain you can,"_ Taiitsukun's had told her the day before.

'Dullen the pain…' she looked over her shoulder to see Tasuki over Tamahome's shoulder as latter threatened to drop the flailing bandit into the water. 'I think Tasuki can do that better than I could ever hope to,' she thought with a sigh.

"Don't worry about them no da," Chichiri said from beside her. Keara jumped in surprise; she hadn't seen him there a moment ago. "Gomen, didn't mean to startle you no da."

Keara waved the apology off once she gained her bearings once again. She turned her back to the water and watched as Tasuki, who now had his feet on the ground, took out his tessen and cried "Rekka shien!"

To her surprise flame flew out of the metal fan and fried Tamahome. Tasuki smiled triumphantly until an enraged Tamahome started chancing after him as he threatened to really throw the bandit overboard.

"At least Tamahome isn't locking himself up no da," Chichiri said as he looked over to the girl next to him.

Keara didn't look over to him; instead she nodded and stood up strait. She wondered what Miaka was up to and decided to find the Suzaku no miko after giving Chichiri a wave.

The monk gave a nod and when she turned away a perplexed look crossed his masked face. 'She seems to distant,' he thought, 'I suppose being mute doesn't help any.'

Miaka was found in her bed room in the belly of the ship talking to herself. Before Keara could 'ask' what was her problem she heard a male's voice that seemed to have no place of origin. What made the occurrence even more odd was the fact that no one else, besides for Miaka, could hear it.

"I'm sorry big brother, but I can't," Miaka responded to the voice before holding out a few hairs to Tasuki. "Burn these."

"Eh?" Tasuki questioned his miko, but took out his fan. He hesitated a second before carefully burning the hairs, but not her fingers.

There was a sudden loud 'crack' as something like lightning hit the ship, startling everyone. They all ran out to the deck to see the mass on fire. Chichiri and Chiriko were looking out onto the horizon as if trying to find the source of the lightning.

'Just a storm and bad luck,' Keara thought, but how everyone was acting made her want to think otherwise.

"What is it?" Tamahome asked.

"It's a Seiryuu seshi!" Chichiri cried as another bolt of lightning came down on the ship.

Large waves began to form and crash upon the ship mercilessly, rocking it back and forth and rain pelted down on them with great force. 'This is no normal storm,' Keara thought and she realized that whoever this Seiryuu seshi was they could control the weather.

A giant wave came up and washed onto the deck, sweeping Tasuki off into the raging waters. "Tasuki!" Miaka screamed and jumped in after him, only to realize she couldn't swim with such a harsh current.

"Idiot!" Tamahome cried and jumped in after her.

Keara grabbed a rope that wasn't far from her and ran over to Nuriko. "Good idea," he said as he took the rope from her and tossed one end to their friends in the water.

As another wave crashed over the ship Nuriko was sent over board and Keara would have followed had Chichiri not grabbed onto her in time. Unfortunately she now hung over the edge as the monk tried desperately to keep a firm grip on her soaked hand.

"Give me your other hand!" Chichiri yelled over the storm.

Keara brought her hand up against the fierce winds, but it slipped out of Chichiri's. Tasuki appeared at his side and held out his hand, "Grab it!"

The wet deck caused Chichiri's feet to slip and he would have fallen overboard had Tasuki not quickly locked his arm around his shoulders. The jolt of his body forward then the sudden stop however caused his grip on Keara's wet hand to weaken just enough for her to slip through.

"NO!" he cried as he felt her hand leave his. 'Not again!' his mind screamed in anguish.

Keara crashed through the turbulent waters below and fought her way up to the top. When her head came up she could barely see the ship and she was still drifting fast from it. She was not the best of swimmers, but could somehow keep her head above the water enough to hear someone scream her name. When she looked over she saw Nuriko several yards away with his hand outstretched to her.

"Over here Keara!" He screamed.

She thanked what ever was watching over her that she would be swimming with the current as she approached Nuriko. Had the current been against her she doubted that she would have made it before the waters would have claimed her life.

Nuriko grabbed hold of her and heaved her out of the water before a stream of lighting hit the water. "Let's get inside. Miaka and Tamahome are already in there."

Keara nodded and followed Nuriko into the small cave that the 'island' offered as a refuge for them. The found Tamahome laying down with Miaka sitting at his side, a fire burning near them.

"He'll be alright Miaka, don't worry," Nuriko said. He turned to Keara, who looked slightly confused, "Tama got electrocuted is all. It would have killed any normal person, but Tama's strong enough."

Keara nodded and sat at one end of the fire, shivering slightly. She looked at the hand Chichiri hand been holding so tightly and mentally cringed as she knew her ring finger was broken from the force with which he put on it to keep her from falling. There was nothing she could do for it now and put her hand in her lap.

Nuriko took off his tunic and shirt before telling them to do the same so they wouldn't catch a cold.

Time seemed to pass slowly, but eventually Tamahome awoke. Everyone was relieved that he was alright, besides for a headache that is. Miaka clung to him happily telling him how worried she had been.

vvvvvv

Eventually everyone was once again safely on the ship. Chichiri came right up to Keara and wrapped her in a hug, "I'm sorry I let you go. I should have held on."

Keara was first shocked but quickly calmed and patted Chichiri on the back. The monk pulled away slightly confused, but when she patted him on the head and smiled he knew she held no grudge against him, which he was grateful for.

Tasuki put a hand on her head, "Next time grab my hand will ya. You had us worried dropping into the water by yourself like that. Chichiri damn near jumped in after you."

Keara looked at Chichiri but could decipher next to nothing from his face besides for a small frown which she suspected was directed at Tasuki. As a sharp pain began to originate from her ring finger she was reminded that it was broken and wasn't at all pleased with all the movement it was under going. She used her other hand to pull on the pained finger until there was a sharp 'pop' as the bone was put back in its correct location after its slight shift.

Tasuki cringed at the sound, "Don' tell me you just fixed a broken bone."

With a shrug Keara showed that the sound hadn't bothered her in the least. She was, after all, a gymnast and fingers were one of the most commonly broken bones.

"I did that didn't I?" Chichiri asked sadly.

Keara took note of the lack of 'no da's' in his words as she waved the question off. Had her wrist been broken instead of her finger she would have been angry because it would have meant that she would have been of even less use than she already was, but it was just a finger and nothing more."

"I didn't know she had a broken bone," Nuriko said as he watched and listened in on the conversation. "She hadn't acted on it while we were in the cave. I guess it hadn't bothered her."

"It doesn't even look like it bothers her now," Chiriko said. Keara smiled, confirming his words.

At that moment the ship crashed into a cliff and everyone but Miaka became paralyzed before the Seiryuu seshi known as Soi jumped on the ship. She had red hair tied to one side, grayish eyes and wore brown and tan armor.

She seemed all to pleased with herself and tried to make quick work of the Suzaku no miko, but the holy sword the miko possessed would not allow it as it sent the lightning attack right back at its summoned.

Soi took the hit in sheer surprise before darting off, but not before taking a good note of the new girl among the now un-paralyzed Suzaku seshi's.

* * *

Uh ho. Soi took note of Keara, what's this going to lead to? 

Please review

Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7

I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

Thanks for reviewing **_Chichiri's Wanderer_** (OMG! I'm soooo sorry. I was really tired when I last updated and my blurring vision must have messed me up. I'm so sorry. You get quadruple the normal thank as an attempt to make up for it! And yes, Soi is a very naught person. Lol) **_Bishiglomper_** (about the quickness, one was intentional, one was out of stupidity. The whole thing with Chichiri I left out because it'll be explained in detail later, you know how in books something happens and doesn't get explained, that's like with this. The thing with Soi was a slip up on my part. I really should have further explained that XP Thanks for pointing out that it was a bit too quick though!) and **_Lyn _**(Aw, thank you so much. I'm glad I'm doing a good job with defining my character because sometimes I worry about that, not necessarily on this story either).

* * *

Chapter 7

Keara shivered at the cold climate of Hokkan, 'Why does it have too feel like late fall here?' When she felt something slip around her shoulders she turned and saw Chichiri pulling away his hands.

"No need for you to catch cold no da," the monk told her with a smile.

Keara gave him a thankful smile and held the kesa in place with the fingers on her good hand. The material might have been thin, but it offered some protection from the chilling air.

"How's your finger no da?" With a small nod Chichiri knew she meant that it was alright.

It wasn't long until they reached a prairie with grazing sheep. Tamahome saved a small boy who was about to fall off of wild horse; earning the gratitude of his mother and a place to stay the night.

Keara wandered outside the tent, Chichiri's kesa still draped around her shoulders. It had been a while since she had last stretched and she knew that if she didn't soon she be completely out of shape by the time she returned to her world.

As she sat outside the tent and stretched out her muscles she listened in on the conversation half the group was having with the elder about the shinzaho. It seemed that no one really knew much of anything about it as three people from the village argued about how it had come to be.

With a sigh Keara lay her head and chest on her outstretched legs. 'All this banter makes me question this things existence, even if Taiitsukun said it was real.'

When she had finished stretching she walked out to a large clear area so that she could have room to practice. She knew all to well that she could not practice everything since the ground was nothing like the floor mats gymnasts used, which had springs in them.

Before she began she took of her tunic, tucked her shirt into her pants and carefully folded the kesa before placing the items on the ground a bit behind her. She glanced down at her finger and frowned. Mitsukake had told her he could mend the bone in moments, but she had told him not too as she was aware that he could only use his ability once a day and she didn't know if something dire would occur in which his ability would be needed.

With a shrug she started out on practicing her routine, doing all that she deemed she could on given her location.

vvvv

"So you're saying someone else is among their ranks?" A male with blond hair that went past his shoulders and fierce blue eyes asked. A blue cape like material covered his right side showing little of his blue armor.

"Yes Nakago sir," Soi said calmly. "I couldn't make much of her since I had only realized she was there as I departed. She seemed like a normal girl, but something about her, even in that brief moment I laid eyes on her, that seemed to counter the idea."

"What do you mean?"

Soi thought a moment as she tried to form the right words, "She almost seemed other worldly. The air about her was like that of our miko, except without the 'high' power she posses with her position." The words sounded odd, even to her, but by the look on Nakago's face she knew he understood.

"She can't be a miko, that much is known," Nakago said, "She has made me curious. Next you see of her I want you to bring her here, alive."

"Yes sir," Soi said as she bowed out of the tent. 'First the Suzaku no miko and now this girl, what's going on?'

They would be in Hokkan tomorrow and the Suzaku no miko, her seshi's and the 'other worldly' girl would undoubtedly arrive soon after.

vvvv

Chichiri and Tasuki watched as Keara did a roundolf-back-handspring into a back flip in the pike position (legs are out strait and not bent in the least with ones arms wrapped around them) three times before stopping. Tasuki's face was etched with surprise and even Chichiri's masked face showed the same emotion.

Keara stopped moments later and turned towards them; she had felt eyes upon her but she had felt it so many times before that she had paid it little heed. She gave a wave before jogging up to them with a small smile.

"How do you do stuff like that and not worry about falling and breaking anything?" Tasuki asked.

Keara simply shrugged at the question. She'd been doing gymnastics from when she was a child and she supposed she just got used to the dangers that many of her maneuvers held.

"That was amazing no da," Chichiri said in awe. "Aren't you dizzy from all that no da?"

With the shake of her head she answered his question. "Did Mitsukake heal your finger?" Tasuki asked.

Keara shook her head once more, causing Tasuki's eyes to widen, "You mean you did all that with a broken finger!"

Keara nodded her head and made a face as if to say 'ya, and the point is?'

"You're crazy," Tasuki said with a shake of his head before walking away.

"It must have hurt no da," Chichiri said as he picked up Keara's hand and examined the bound finger. He let it go not long later, "Doesn't look like you hurt it any though no da."

Keara gave a silent laugh. All of the monks 'no da's' were beginning to amuse her to no end, where as before they had gotten on her nerves slightly.

"What's so funny no da?" Chichiri asked with a puzzled expression.

Keara shook her head before shivering. She had forgotten how cold it was because she had been warm from training.

"Here," Chichiri put the blanket that had been draped over his shoulders over hers. At her look he added, "I'll get another one no da."

With a nod Keara held the blanket close, taking in the warmth that Chichiri had left in it. The monk disappeared into the tent from which he had exited not long ago to ask for another blanket.

Keara smiled and walked up to the things he had put on the ground before practicing and picked them up, dusting off any dirt that clung to them. By the time she was finished Chichiri was walking out of the tent with another blanket around his shoulders.

'Arigato,' Keara mouthed as he handed the monk back his kesa.

"You're welcome no da," Chichiri said with a smile as he took his kesa back.

vvvvv

Keara rubbed her eyes sleepily as she leaned against a tree. I had been several hours since they had first arrived at the small village of sheep herders and it had been a very long day. Chichiri and Tasuki sat quietly at one side of the tree and she was on the other.

With a weak smile she looked down at the drawing in her hands. It was of chibi Chichiri running while yelling 'Daa!' as a phoenix chased him about with his staff in its talons and kesa around its neck.

The monk was an interesting character, but then again all the seshi's were interesting in their own ways. However there was something about the monk in particular that made her feel at ease in this strange place when she was sure that, on a normal occasion, she would have been frightened beyond compression and being without a voice she would have been too lost to be found.

Her eye lids felt heavy and she fought little against the strong urge to sleep. Within moment she was gone from the material world, her sketch book laying in her lap, and into the world of dreams.

"It's getting late Tasuki," Chichiri said as he looked up to the moon. "We should get some rest for tomorrows travel no da."

Tasuki yawned, "Ya I guess." He stood and stretched out his muscles before yawning again, this time loudly.

"Keara no-" Chichiri stopped mid sentence as he peered around the tree and found the teen fast asleep. He smiled under his mask as he crawled the small distance to her side. "Asleep already no da."

The open sketch book caught his interest and he chuckled lightly at the drawing. He didn't understand why he would be chased by Suzaku, or be running away from him for that matter, but the picture held a sense of humor and relief from his regular duties.

With a shake of his head he closed the sketch book and handed the it to Tasuki, "Put this with the rest of Keara's things no da." He then carefully put one arm under her knee's and the other behind her back before gingerly picking her up, being careful not to wake her.

'She's so light,' Chichiri thought as he carried her to the tent they would be using for the night. 'Is that healthy?'

* * *

Chichiri and Tasuki see Keara going her stunts, about time. Lol. Hope I got Tasuki's reaction better this time than last time.

But Nakago now knows of her! And he wants her captured! This can't bode well for our mute friend.

Please review.

Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8

I don't own Fushigi Yuugi

Sorry for the late update, its been spring break for me (last day is today in fact) and I've been feeling really lazy. Lol. I haven't even touched my homework… oh well it can wait until I'm done updating everything XD

Thank you for reviewing:

**_Everqueen_** – That can be a bit rough. I know the deal with not liking change, I'm was, and kind of still am, like that, but I'm not autistic. Good to hear about their father :) And thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it.

**_ladysakaya_** – Lol. I don't think anyone's a mutant… well maybe Ashitare fall in that category, but we haven't met him yet. Lol. But I do the same kinds of things often enough. Lol.

**_Bishiglomper_** – Lol. The thing with Tasuki is true, I don't know why I didn't make him act louder…

**_Chichiri's Wanderer_** – Keara is health. Its just that, as you said, gymnasts tend to be lighter than normal and Chichiri, not knowing about gymnasts, doesn't know that. We'll see a small bit of what he thinks about it in this chapter. Ya, she has yet to find out about the mask, but that'll come soon enough.

**_ktbug10093_** – Lol. I understood it well enough. Thank you! Some characters are just next to impossible to bring OOC, like Chichiri because he has both a childish and a very mature side. Only thing that'd bring him OOC is if he was perverted O.o And that's not something I'd even want to think about. Lol. Though most of the characters aren't like Chichiri and it's only been on a few occasions I've had to rethink what I want certain characters to say. Lol. I do see why you say it though because sometime when characters are brought OOC it's 'kills' them, not always, but sometimes.

**_Maeleana_** – Glad your enjoying it and I'm sure you'll get a huge laugh out of one particular part near the end of this chapter XD

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Keara awoke the next morning to something soft gliding across her cheek. Curiously she opened her eyes and found a small brown and white cat rubbing against her almost lovingly. She smiled and sat up before petting the cat with a content smile.

"I see Tama woke you," a voice from the door said. Upon looking up she found the voice belonged to Mitsukake. "Sorry for that."

With a smile and a small shake over her head she silently let the healer know that she did not mind. She gave Tama a final pet before he ran to his master and climbed up his out stretched hand to his shoulder.

"Morning," Chiriko said brightly as he walked in. Keara gave him a curt nod in responses. "We'll be leaving within the hour, so you might want to get your things together."

Keara nodded and got herself out of bed to pack up what few things she had out. As she did this she could not help but wonder at how she had gotten into the tent. 'Someone must have carried me,' she thought with slight dismay. She did not want to be any more of a burden to the group than she already was, not being a seshi or miko and all.

Chiriko walked up to her with a coat in his arms, "This is for you. The village people gave them to us."

With a smile the mute teen took the coat and nodded in thanks. "Welcome," Chiriko said with a smile before leaving.

After putting the warm coat on Keara placed her bag onto her back, sketch book now in it, and stepped out into the cold embrace of the morning air.

"Morning no da," Chichiri said happily as he walked towards her with two rolls in his hands, "Here, you should eat these before we leave no da."

'Arigato,' she mouthed as she took the rolls and began to eat them.

"Welcome," Chichiri said with a smile, though his alternate reason for personally giving her the food was to make sure that her light weight wasn't due to a lack of nutrition. "You're really polite no da," he with a laugh.

Keara blinked at the comment, clearly caught off guard by it. Despite all her fame from winning medals at national and world championships for gymnastics she had not let the glory get to her head and instead thought of herself no differently than the average freshmen college student. She had received the same basic comment the monk had given her many times from reporters (her friend Sara or her mother always there to translate her sign language), but this time she really had never expected the comment.

"It's true no da," Chichiri said, easily catching the surprised expression of the teen.

"You two ready to leave?" Tamahome called from the horses.

With a nod from Keara Chichiri called out, "Hai no da."

Keara smiled and spelled out 'no da' with her free hand for her own amusement. The blue haired monk tilted his head to the side in curiosity and confusion, but the teen dismissed the look with the wave of her hand as she walked towards the horses, taking a bite out of one of the rolls a moment later.

Tamahome rode with Miaka, Tasuki with Chiriko, and Chichiri with Keara while Nuriko and Mitsukake rode alone. They bid the people of the small village farewell and set off for Hokkan once more.

vvvvv

It took a fair amount of time but the group had finally reached Hokkan. It wasn't long after their initial arrival that it began to snow, giving the city a look of wonder and beauty.

Keara had always loved snow, but hated the bitter cold that came with the same season. If the temperature went below twenty degrease Fahrenheit she wasn't very pleased, especially when she had to walk outdoors to walk to classes.

They found a nice looking tavern where they gave their horses to the stable hands before wandering in to have a nice warm meal. Keara looked at the menu over before determining it was in Chinese, a language she couldn't read, and put it to the side. She made a mental note to try and learn the language when she returned home, even though she knew there were many different versions.

It turned out that she didn't really need to know the language at the current time as half the group ordered enough for everyone, counting even Miaka who had a bottomless pit for a stomach. Keara couldn't help but wonder if the miko had two, or even three, stomachs based on how much she normally crammed into her mouth.

As the group waited they chatted about how to find the shinzaho in the large city. Before anything was really determined two rather drunk men walked up to the table, one to Nuriko and the other to Keara. "Hey girls want to come have some fun with us."

Nuriko didn't look pleased and punched the male near him hard enough to fly into the nearby table. The other one didn't seem to get the message to leave and grabbed Keara's arms rather forcefully, pulling her from her chair.

The mute teen's eyebrows knitted together in anger and she kicked the drunk. All the males at the table gave horrified expressions and the man she kicked sang in an outrageously high pitch, somehow managing to stay on his feet. Keara pushed him away before taking her seat, happy that she had taken care of the situation herself, but embarrassed at all the horrified expressions of her friends.

"You don' kick a guy there!" Tasuki yelled when he recovered, "That's just wrong!"

Nuriko laughed, "At least we know she can take care of herself from men of his caliber. Now we need to know if she can handle ones even stronger."

Keara gave a small smirk to show that she wasn't afraid, causing a few of the group to chuckle. In truth she wasn't sure if she could actually fight someone that wasn't drunk beyond logical thought or action as she had never had training in any area of material art before, but she wouldn't tell anyone that.

At that moment their orders arrived and everyone set about eating. Everything was quiet between them for several minutes until Miaka broke it when she dropped her chopsticks and groaned in slight pain. Tamahome looked at her with the utmost concern, "What's wrong Miaka?"

"Hand cramp!" Miaka cried as she tried flexing her hand.

Tamahome laughed nervously at the young red head that was his miko and beloved, "Perhaps you should slow down on eating then."

Keara laughed silently and took Miaka's hand, as she was right next to her, and wobbled the miko's hand to loosen it before massaging it with her thumbs. A large smile came upon the miko's face as the pain gave way to a smooth and relaxing feeling.

"That feels so good," Miaka said happily before holding out her other hand, "Please?" With a smile Keara massaged her other hand, getting a pleased giggle out of the young miko.

Miaka said a bright, "Thank you," when Keara had finished and went back to 'inhaling' her food.

"Is it really that nice no da?" Chichiri asked curiously.

The Suzaku no miko nodded as she somehow kept shoveling food into the vacuum she had for a mouth. Tamahome shook his head as he watched her, "Slow down or you'll choke Miaka."

As if on queue Miaka started to choke, but with the properly placed slaps on the back from Tamahome she was back to 'inhaling' once again.

Keara rolled her eyes and held out her hand, indicating for Chichiri to give her his hand. The monk did as signaled, but as soon as the mute teen felt his hand she made a face as it felt horribly dry due to the combination of sea water and cold weather. She indicated for him to wait a moment as she dug into her bag a retrieved her bottle of hand lotion that smelled very faintly of strawberries; one of her favorite fruits.

Chichiri tilted his head to the side curiously, but didn't ask as some of the pinkish substance was poured into his palm before she gently worked it into his hand. He felt a sense of smoothness in it due to the lotion, something that had been missing for some time now and a small smile crept upon his mask.

After working all the lotion into his hands Keara gently shook his hand out as she tried to get him to loosen it up. She placed her thumbs in the middle of his palm and still felt some of the muscles tensed up, which was natural for a hand, and shook it once more.

"You got to loosen your hand up," Miaka said between mouthfuls of food.

Chichiri nodded and did his best to loosen his hand up. Keara, being satisfied with the looseness of it, began to massage his hand. A smile played on his mask and a soft, "Daa," escaped him accidentally soon after.

A small smile crossed the mute teens face as she finished massaging that hand and repeated the process for the next one. When she was done Chichiri looked at his hands with a pleased expression, or as much of one that would contort onto his mask, which Keara still didn't know about, as he flexed them. "They're so soft and relaxed na no da."

Tasuki, who had been holding back his laughter at the monk, finally erupted, "Chichiri got a hand job!"

Chichiri looked horrified in the bandit's direction, "I most certainly did not no da!"

The damage had already been done though as the men at tables around them erupted in whistles and howls, some yelling, "Me next!"

Keara silently chuckled and shook her head, a faint color flowing to her cheeks from all the hollers of the men in the tavern. She was used to hearing the comment as one of her crazier college friends had cried it gleefully when she had first gotten a hand massage from her, causing several boys to run over.

The flustered monk took a rather large gulp out his drink. He had seen Keara's shoulders shake with laughter, which had confused his since he thought that she would have also been horrified or at least insulted by Tasuki's shrewd comment.

He cleared his throat to get everyone's attention so that he could change the rather embarrassing subject. "We should split into groups to searcher the city for the shinzaho no da."

He thanked Suzaku that his diversionary tactic had worked. The group was slit up with Miaka, Nuriko (who had cut his hair to everyone's surprise) and Tamahome in one group, Tasuki and Mitsukake in another and Chichiri, Keara and Chiriko in the last.

Miaka pouted, "Can Keara come with us? I would like another girl in the group, no offense to you guys, but I can relate a bit more with her." She looked to Keara, "That's if you don't mind…"

Keara shook her head and looked to Chichiri to see if it was alright. The monk thought a moment before nodding, "Alright no da." There was a very small and very faint voice screaming at him to not allow it, but he paid it no heed.

* * *

Tehe.The deal with the "hand job" is actually a true event, except I heard about it from my two friends and wasn't there to witness it myself and it wasn't at a collage (I'm not there yet. Lol. Still have about 3 full months until I graduate…. O.o _TOO SOON_ T.T) 

But now that they're in Hokkan what's Nakago going to do?

Find out in the next chapter.

Please review.

Thank you!


	9. Chapter 9

I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

I'm sorry once again for the late update, but my schedule is getting hectic and is only to get worse with the next week (senior art show in my school is next Friday, so I'm trying to get more stuff done for it). After that it'll slow down, thankfully. It's because of me being busy that this chapter isn't as good as I would like it to be. It's rushed and, to me, a bit choppy at places (but maybe I'm thinking that because I was half awake when re-reading this last night), but it gets the point across. Perhaps when I have time I'll go back and re-write it.

Thanks for reviewing **_Chichiri's Wanderer_**, **_Crimson Firefox_**, **_Everqueen_**, **_ladysakaya_**, **_Bishiglomper_** and **_Maeleana_**. I'm glad you guys enjoyed the 'hand job' special :)

* * *

**Chapter 9**

The group had split up some time ago and now Miaka, Keara and Nuriko sat waiting for Tamahome to return from where ever he had vanished to with a strange fellow. It was a boring wait and the snow had stopped falling, lessening the beauty of the day.

Keara readjusted her bag on her back as her gaze stayed down the street in their bored fashion. The flare Chiriko had given each of the groups lay in her bag for safe keepings, as well as to stay dry from any snow that might otherwise fall upon it.

With a silent sigh she rubbed her cold ears and looked over to Miaka and Nuriko, who were sitting side by side. Miaka smiled at her and asked, "What's it like to live in the United States?"

Keara shrugged her shoulders and walked up to the miko as she took out her sketch book. Once opened to a blank page she wrote, 'It's nothing too special to me, probably like how Japan is to you.'

"I guess that makes sense," Miaka said, "If you live in a country it's not as big of a deal compared to someone who's never been there before."

With a nod Keara put her book away once again. She could feel the Suzaku no miko's restlessness and she understood why. Tamahome was taking his sweet time on getting back.

"What's taking Tamahome so long?" Miaka asked quietly to no one in particular.

"Who knows," Nuriko said as he looked in the direction the seshi had taken some time ago.

Miaka stood up, "Well I'm going to go look for him."

"He told us to wait here Miaka," Nuriko reminded her, "Who knows, maybe he's heading back now."

"Then I'll meet him," Miaka stepped out from under the small open structure they had been under.

Nuriko watch the miko take a couple of steps before catching glimpse a strange wolf like human jump off the building, claws extended, meaning to take the girls life. "Miaka!" He cried as he ran to her and pushed her to the side, taking a portion of the blow when he failed to get himself out of the way.

The creature was about to strike again when a loud 'pop' was heard and a billow of flame went across the creatures face. It howled in pain and ran away, covering its burnt face with one hand.

Miaka and Nuriko looked over and found Keara with the remainder of the flare in her hands, a look of annoyance on her face. As the mute teen looked to them she smiled, but it turned to concern when she saw Nuriko's wound.

Nuriko, having noticed where the teen's gaze had fallen, said, "It's just a scratch." He gave her a grin, "Quick thinking there Keara."

Keara smiled and blushed slightly. She hadn't been sure a moment ago if what she had done had been a good thing or a bad thing, but now she knew.

Tamahome took that moment to appear. "What happened?" He asked as he ran over to Miaka.

Nuriko made a face at his late entrance, "We were attacked by a Seiryuu seshi."

"Are you alright!" Tamahome asked, though it was directed more to Miaka than anyone else.

Miaka nodded, "Nuriko saved me and Keara scared him off."

Tamahome nodded, "Good. Oh, I found out where the shinzaho is, but it seems the Seiryuu are also looking for it since they are in the city."

"Is Yue here?" Miaka asked almost too gleefully.

Keara made a face, 'Why does she want to meet her enemy.'

Nuriko noticed her look and explained quietly, "Miaka and Yui were the best of friends before they came here and became miko's. After an- event Yui made Miaka her enemy, but all Miaka wants is to clear up any problems between them and become friends again."

'So that's it,' Keara thought, giving Nuriko a nod to let him know she understood.

"We have to contact the others," Tamahome told them, "Where's the flare?"

Keara made an apologetic face as she thought that she had been wrong to think her action to scare of the Seiryuu seshi was the right one. Nuriko covered her though and explained why they no longer had it.

Amazingly Tamahome didn't seem mad. 'Probably because it was used to save Miaka's life,' Keara thought. Tamahome in return told them where the shinzaho was located.

"You guys go look for the others," Nuriko told them, "I'll go look for the Shinzaho on that mountain."

Keara looked to him and got a very strange feeling that she shouldn't stay with Miaka. It was odd indeed, but her instincts told her that staying would cause massive problems. So instead she pointed to herself than to Nuriko.

Nuriko looked at her slightly confused, "You want to come with me?" With the nod of the mute teens head he got his answer. "I don't know…"

"I think it's a good idea," Miaka said with a smile. When everyone looked to her she explained, "The two of you can watch each others backs so that if you get attacked you don't have to be on your own."

"Sounds good," Tamahome said with a smile.

Nuriko nodded, "Alright then. Keara and I will go to the mountain, you guys find the others and follow suit."

"Hai," Miaka said as she and Tamahome turned and ran down the street in search of the others.

"Let's go," Nuriko turned and headed of in the opposite direction, Keara at his side.

vvvv

Ashitare, the wolf like man, kneeled before Nakago. He had just explained what had happened and the Seiryuu general did not seem pleased in the least.

Nakago pulled the whip off his belt and thrashed the injured wolf man twice before giving him the proper threat to assure that he would not fail him again. Ashitare nodded obediently, silently cursing him in his mind. Most of his mind, however, was on the girl who had marred his face and had destroyed his eye.

Nakago would get the girl alive, but how alive she would be he would decide when the time came, for he wanted revenge.

vvvvv

Keara stumbled for what seemed the fiftieth time as she climbed the mountain with Nuriko. Her hands were beginning to go numb and she tried in vain to keep them in her jacket sleeves to stay warm, but every time she stumbled they came out and fell into the snow.

"Almost there," Nuriko told her after recovering from a stumble himself.

Nuriko was correct in what he said, for within ten minutes they were standing on a snowy ledge. They noticed a rather large rock with faint writing and a door behind it pressed up against the mountain wall.

"There it is," Nuriko said with a smile.

A harsh voice from behind them caught them off guard. "Thank you for leading me here," Ashitare said, "Now I shall kill you and claim the shinzaho for Seiryuu."

Nuriko growled and pushed Keara behind him, "I don't think so."

Ashitare's face became very cross and he too growled as he saw the girl glare at him from behind the Suzaku seshi. "You will pay for what you did to me."

Keara stuck her tongue out at him and hardened her glare. 'You deserved it freak,' she thought bitterly.

"Get out of here Keara," Nuriko said between his teeth, keeping his gaze on the wolf man before him.

Keara did not like the idea, but she knew that if she stuck around the seshi would worry about her and inevitably get himself hurt, which was something she did not want to cause. As she took a step back Ashitare charged forward, claws extended.

Nuriko shoved Keara to the side before jumping to the side himself to evade the wolf creature. Ashitare was quick on his feet and turned to pounce on Keara, but she had crawled to the side to evade the initial strike. However she was not quick to her feet, earning a slash across her leg, which would have been much worse had Nuriko not grabbed hold of him forcefully.

The Suzaku seshi struggle with him, but was eventually thrown to the side by the strong Seiryuu seshi. Ashitare did not have much chance to do anything right after that as Keara smashed her foot, not belonging to the injured leg, into his face, causing him to howl in pain.

Keara got to her feet, but as she put pressure on her wounded leg it surged with pain and gave out under her. Nuriko tackled Ashitare from the side as he made to jump on top of the wounded girl and managed to punch him once before getting thrown once again.

Ashitare shifted to his front and used his feet to send him into the air at the injured girl once more. Keara rolled to the side, barely evading the claw that landed a foot away from her head. She made a face and sprayed some of the hair spray she had taken out of her bag not a moment ago into his face.

Once again Ashitare howled in pain and tried to get the stinging substance out of his eye. Nuriko took that opportunity to swiftly punch the beast in the face, knocking him away from the wounded girl once more.

The wolf man rolled on the ground violently as he rubbed his eye painfully. Cries of pain repeatedly emitted from his mouth.

It was during this tantrum that Nuriko helped Keara to her feet and moved her away from the howling beast. Keara winced in pain every time she put pressure on her leg, but never fell since she was leaning on her helper for support.

Nuriko was very worried for the girl as if was obvious that her wound was not exactly small. The area in which she had just been moved from had been turned red from her blood and the wound did not look willing to let up anytime soon.

Not sure at what else to do Nuriko ripped a portion of his sleeve off and used it to make a make-shift bandage for her leg. "I hope this'll hold until the other get here," he mused.

By the time the knot had been tied Ashitare was staggering to his feet, eye red from the both the spray and his immense rubbing he had done. He growled from deep in his throat and charged at them.

Nuriko, who had moved away from Keara, went to intercept him. Ashitare seemed to have been expecting this and knocked the Suzaku seshi down and made to send his claws into his chest when a book smacked into head.

While the book had hurt and made a small trickle of blood flow down his forehead, it did not seem to faze his all that much. It did, however, divert his attention from Nuriko to Keara, whom still had her arm out stretched from throwing her sketch book.

The Suzaku seshi used the diversion to punch Ashitare square in the face. Ashitarewas quick to recover and ran at Nuriko angrily once again, the later jumped into the air to evade. Ashitare responded with great haste and impaled the Suzaku seshi in the back with his claws.

Keara's eyes widened and she gasped. 'Nuriko!' her mind screamed.

Nuriko looked very pained, but managed to get himself off of the beast's claws and break its neck. Shoving the carcass off the ledge he turned and smiled faintly at Keara with one hand over his chest, "At least that's over."

Keara nodded sadly, getting to her feet slowly. She cringed as her leg screamed at her in protest. Nuriko moved over to the large bolder blocking the way. When Keara gave him disapproving gestures he shook his head, "I have to do it. I'm the only one that can."

Before Keara could protest further he lifted the bolder, blood dripping on the snow from his wound, and moved it to the side. He cringed and sighed before walking to Keara, where, together, they walked out towards the ledge to look at the landscape, each leaning on the other for support.

Nuriko sighed, "I guess I won't be around to see Miaka summon Suzaku."

Keara gave him a hug, trying to reassure him. The seshi smiled down at her, "You were really brave back there Keara. I'm really impressed."

From her look Nuriko could tell she was a little confused and felt ashamed for not stopping Ashitare from inflicting the injury on him. "It's not your fault I was hurt. In fact I'm sure that I would have been killed even faster had you not been with me. You definitely covered my back."

At the sad look he amended what he said slightly, "You couldn't watch my back all the time and I couldn't do it for you either. We were both injured for that reason." He smiled, "You'll be able to make it until Mitsukake gets here with that bandage on it. It's pretty bad, but it could have been worse."

Nuriko lost his balance and fell backwards, taking Keara with him. Amazingly she landed at his side and not on top on him. As soon as they hit the ground they heard Miaka and Tamahome cry their names.

''bout time," Nuriko murmured with a soft chuckle.

Tamahome held Nuriko's head in his arms, offering whatever support he could. The injured seshi told them quickly of what had happened before apologizing ahead of time for not being able to help along the rest of the journey.

Miaka told him to hang on, that Mitsukake was on his way, but it wasn't long later that the injured seshi passed on. Miaka cried and ran away, refusing to accept that he was gone.

Tamahome looked to Keara, who had her head bowed as silent sobs racked her body. "It sounds like you two did your best up here. That's the important part Keara. Nuriko gave his life so we could press forward and we will do just that." Inside he too cried, but he would not let the tears fall so that he could help comfort Keara and when the others arrived he would do the same for Miaka. For now he knew that his love needed a bit of space, but he also knew she needed support.

Keara wiped away the tears falling down her red cheeks and nodded. Her sight was blurry from what she thought to be tears, but when she realized how lightheaded she had become she knew the true reason. Nuriko had miscalculate her rate of bleeding, or perhaps the bandage had become loose in her movement. Whatever the reason it matter not, all that mattered was that she was in a dire situation.

There was no time to make it known to Tamahome, as her vision suddenly faded and she passed out from blood loss.

* * *

Ack! Blood loss! Will she be healed in time? Or will Keara join Nuriko as a spirit?

Sorry again for the rushed manner of the chapter. I'm going to do my best to evade such a thing in the future, but I was late already with the update and I'm not going to be home this weekend so I felt rushed when trying to type it out.

Please review

Thanks!


	10. Chapter 10

I don't own FY

Thank you for reviewing _D.D.Z.__Chichiri's Wanderer__Everqueen__, Crimson Firefox, __Maeleana__OkonomiyakeUcchan__FFchick__, Bishiglomper _and_unsafety pin_.

I would write out reply's to them but I'm so exhausted I think I'd write things that incomprehensible. Ug, big words for tired mind with massive headache are not good. But I will say this: 'No da' mean 'ya know', but that get really annoying when said over and over in English, where as 'no da' is cute and isn't so… blahish… bad term to use in describingit but that's alright.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Chichiri, Mitsukake, Chiriko and Tasuki were all heading towards the mountain as quickly as they could. Something deeply troubled them, as if they felt a fellow seshi in danger.

"I hope Nuriko is alright," Chiriko said panted as he did his best to keep up with the others. Being that he was several feet shorter that proved to be a difficult task.

No one responded, but it was known that the feeling was they same for all. None of them knew that Keara was atop the mountain and in as much danger as the seshi, but they could not be to blame for that as they had not seen Tamahome or Miaka since they had split up. They had simply felt a fellow seshi in danger and had set off in the direction of the feeling as quickly as humanly possible.

Anxiety grew within them as time passed and the feeling of their friends' danger became stronger and stronger. It was not long before the feeling reached it peak and caused them to stop dead in their tracks.

"Nuriko…" Chiriko seemed on the verge of tears, fearing that the feeling might mean that their friend was now gone.

"Let's hurry and give what aid we can," Chichiri said quickly and moved forward at a running pace, staff rattling with each step. The horrid feeling for Nuriko's safety was powerful and felt as if a knife had been jabbed into his very soul, but it was not powerful enough to block out a second pain. He did not comprehend what it meant for several moments until it became stronger, nearly as much so as Nuriko's, that he realized that someone one else was in grave danger.

He rattled off the names of the only other people left to cause the pain in his head as he continued his pace. He knew it was not Hotohori as he was back at the capital and Kutou (Seiryuu being their god) was too busy chasing after the shinzaho's to bother with an attack. It could not be either of the three beside him as they were all in top condition, nor could it be his miko as the feeling would she much sharper, which took Tamahome out as well since they would, undoubtedly, be in the same place. That left only one other person.

Chichiri suddenly froze in horror, "Keara…"

vvvv

Miaka sat cradling Keara's head in her lap. She had originally planned to run off and cry, but when she had head Tamahome cry the girl's name in shock and fear she came running back faster than she had left.

Keara's face was deathly pale, yet amazingly she looked peaceful. This fact both appalled and frightened the miko as Nuriko looked the same way and he had left them. Miaka did not think she could stand losing yet another friend, especially not within the same hour as the first.

The wound Ashitare had inflicted upon her leg had been re-bandaged by Tamahome in an attempt to slow the bleeding. The idea had worked thus far, but the amount of blood she had already lost would prove fatale unless Mitsukake arrived soon.

Tamahome placed his ear next to Keara's mouth for a moment before rising away. He sighed and shook his head, "Her breathing keeps getting shallower."

"There's got to be some way we can help her," Miaka cried, the tears she had been holding back raining down her cheeks, streaking them with their moisture.

With a sigh Tamahome bowed his head, "There is nothing we can do." His fists balled up in anger and helplessness before he continuing with a barely steady voice, "All we can do it wait."

And wait they did, waited and watched as Keara's life slowly slipped away. Panic was quickly arising in Miaka and even Tamahome had a difficult time concealing his immense worry as Keara's breathing began staggering.

"Please hang on Keara," Miaka sniffed, a tear falling off her chin to slide down the dying teen's cheek and became lost within her ruffled hair.

It seemed like an eternity before the rhythmic clinging of Chichiri's staff reached their ears. Tamahome looked up, "Chichiri!"

The monk quickly came into view with the other three seshi's. They all looked breathless and deeply worried, but that understandable. One look at Keara sent both Mitsukake and Chichir running faster than they had been traveling before towards her, the latter dropping his staff and mask half way there.

"Keara," Chichiri breathed in worry and quickly took in the fact that she was outrageously pale and nearly at the point of not breathing.

"Is her leg the only injury?" Mitsukake asked quickly and breathlessly.

"Yes," Tamahome answered. It wasn't completely true, but the only other injuries she had were scrapes and they were of no risk to her health.

With a quick nod Mitsukake held out his hand over the bandage and summoned his power. There was a bit of yellow light and then nothing. He pulled his hand away and looked up to his patients still pale face.

"Will she be alright?" Miaka asked before either of the others could.

"Check her breathing," Mitsukake ordered to no on in particular.

Chichiri placed his ear next to Keara's mouth and stayed in the position for several moments. With a sigh of relief he pulled away and smiled faintly, "It's returning to a healthy pattern."

"Thank Suzaku," Tamahome said with a sigh.

Soft sobbing could be heard from behind them and the reason for it was Chiriko. He had walked up to Nuriko while the others were helping Keara and had taken in the full results of the battle his two friends had been involved in. While the sight was not as gruesome as it could have been the fact still remained that they had lost a friend and a fellow seshi, something that pulled at each and everyone of their hearts.

The atmosphere of the group had quickly changed from relief at Keara's rising health to sadness at the loss of Nuriko. Tamahome tried his best to explain what had happened based on what he had been told, but he felt he was down casting the heroics of both friends, a fact of which he made very clear.

"Let us not put both their sacrifices in vain," Chichiri softly said as he glanced down at Keara. Her breath was nearly back to normal and her face had gained several shades more color than it had been moments ago, but it was still unknown how long she would be unconscious.

"What do ya mean both sacrifices? Keara's still 'er," Tasuki said in confusion.

"Not all sacrifices are made by death," Chichiri responded.

With a nod Tasuki, Mitsukake and Tamahome all aided in giving their deceased friend as proper a burial as they could. Miaka stayed in her place supporting Keara's head as she watched her friend be laid to rest with great sadness. Chiriko ran off to where the monk had dropped his belongings and picked them up.

Once Chichiri had placed his mask back on and had asked Chiriko to hold his staff he wrapped his kesa around the unconscious teen. Satisfied with the position of the cloak he gingerly placed his arms behind her shoulders and knees and picking her up carefully so as not to wake her should her slumber be shallow.

"She'll be alright no da," Chichiri told Miaka upon catching her worried glance.

The miko nodded, "I know, but I can't help but worry." She looked down at her feet, "I've already lost one friend. I don't want to lose another."

"Nuriko will never be gone so long as you hold him in your heart," Chichiri said softly as he looked to his three friends, who were patting down the last of the snow on Nuriko's grave.

Miaka gave a small nod before running over to Tamahome and wrapping him in the hug she had needed from the beginning of the ordeal. Tasuki did not stop walking until he was at the monks side and gazed down upon the girl in his arms, "Ta think that she went up against tha' Seriyuu warrior and was nearly killed is unbelievable. I would have never guessed she'd be so brave and willin' to protect Nuriko despite her bad injury. She is just a girl after all."

"No, she is a brave young woman," Chichiri corrected.

By then Miaka and Tamahome were at their sides as well. "Lets go get the shinzaho before any more Seriyuu creeps show up," Tamahome said with a small forced smile.

Everyone agreed to his words and made for the door Nuriko had unblocked for them with the last of his strength.

* * *

At least Keara is alright. How long will she be out for? What will happen during the time that she is out?

Find out next update.

Please review.

Thanks!


	11. Chapter 11

I don't own FY

Sorry for such a late update guys! The reason for it is due to school, mainly three research papers I had to do, they were all given at about the same time and where due extremely close to one another.

Thanks for reviewing:

**FFchick **– Thank you! Ya I tend to make some kind of problems in any of my fics having romance. I can't write sappy fics… at least not any that are good. Lol. But hey, a bit of strife makes for added fun, no?

**Everqueen**– Well I couldn't have my character die so close to the beginning now could I. Lol. Whether Keara will die later on will remain a mystery, one that may bug many. Lol. Chichiri is one of those characters I think romance has to come slowly to, after all he does blame himself for his tragic past.

**Chichiri's Wanderer**– Lol. Sorry, I tend to do many cliff hangers just because their fun for me to type and it fun to read to, though they're also annoying at times XD

**Crimson Firefox** – Sorry for keeping you waiting. But ya, Keara is safe thus far! And Chichiri is slowly falling for her… though I don't think he know that yet. Lol.

**lady-of-the-cats**– I hope I didn't endanger your sanity! The chapter is here now! And thanks for the complement :)

**Jen-beyblade- fan**– Thanks. I have returned! … erm… ya. Lol. I hope you like this chapter as much as the last.

Warning: beginning might seem a bit rushed since I felt there was no need to go over everything the anime had.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Chichiri and many others sighed in relief as the two Genbu worriers, Hikitsu and Tomite, stopped with their fighting and tests. The monk could understand why the two worriers acted as they did, but that did not mean he cared much for it.

He looked down to the unconscious girl in his arms and barely withheld another sigh, one that wished to come out more that the last. There was no doubt in his mind, he was glad that Keara was going to be alright, but he could not help but worry over her. Her skin had regained its healthy color and her breathing was completely normal for one in her current state, yet there was something that played on his mind. Something that warned of trouble; future perils that had yet to reveal itself.

"You alright Chichiri?" Tasuki asked as he looked over his shoulder to his older friend.

The monk looked to him before nodding, "Hai."

They all moved forward, through the massive door at the other end of the cave. Miaka was visibly excited, as was the entire group, and it made perfect sense, they were about to get the shinzaho that would enable them to summon Suzaku. There adventure would finally come to end; they could go about their lives peacefully once again.

Or so everyone had thought.

"You do know you need two shinzaho's for the summons of your god," Tomite said.

Simple words caused the once happy aura to fall dramatically to a shocked and depressed one. Tamahome was obviously the one most affected by the news, it seemed as if the ground had opened up right under his feet and swallowed the once energetic teen.

"It's alright," Miaka said after a moments shock, "We'll just go to Sairou and get the other one." She smiled softly, "Then we can summon Suzaku."

Her words softened everyone expressions and determination once again filled the aura around the group. "Seiryuu will most likely be after it as well," Mitsukake said calmly.

"So let's go get it!" Tamahome cried as he threw his fist into the air, a completely different attitude plastered on his face than just moments before.

Turning on their heels everyone left the chamber only to stop outside of it. They watched in slight amazement as the two Genbu warriors disappeared before them, but not before telling them that their duty was now over and that they could finally go to heaven and rest.

Miaka looked down at the Shinzaho in her hands and smiled, 'I only need one more to bring Yue back to me,' she thought gleefully, 'and then I can stay here with Tamahome.' The last thought brought a blush to her face.

"Are you alright Miaka, you're turning red," Tamahome asked in concern, "Are you cold?"

The miko shook her head, blush growing ever deeper, "No, I'm alright." Her gaze fell upon the only other female on the group, "How is she Chichiri?"

"She's alright no da," Chichiri said with a smile, "Her body just needs to recuperate na no da."

"The strain in which her body underwent was unquestionably foreign to her," Mitsukake pointed out. "Her spirit needs time to heal and that is something I cannot hasten."

Miaka nodded and looked back down at the Shinzaho as the sun greeted her face. Suddenly there was a sharp pull and the object was taken from her hands quicker than she could react. With a light cry she looked up only to find Ashitare in wolf form staring at her out of one eye, the Shinzaho held tightly in his sharp jaws.

"Give that back!" Miaka cried, but Ashitare turned and ran through the wood. "Wait!" She cried and ran after him.

"Miaka!" Tamahome screamed and took off after her.

"We should probably follow them, "Chiriko said as he took a step forward, Chichiri's staff still in his hands.

The others made to follow but after one step they were brought to a sudden halt and they all fell to their knees. Lightning crackled all around them, paralyzing all but their voices, making them well aware of who was now in their presence.

Soi walked out of the forest and into their view, a satisfied smirk twisted on her lips. "Ashitare might have the shinzaho to deliver to Nakago, but the real prize was left behind."

"What?" Tasuki growled through clenched teeth.

Chichiri suddenly realized what her words had meant, "You can't have her."

The lightning Seiryuu laughed, "You can't stop me from taking what I want." She briskly moved forward, only to stop right in front of the paralyzed monk who was glaring at her from beneath his mask. He felt helpless, a feeling he wished more than ever to rid himself of. He wanted to protect the unconscious girl in his arms, but it was impossible with his body stuck as it was; he could not even clench his fingers to tighten his grasp.

Soi roughly took Keara from Chichiri's arms and slung the unconscious girl over her shoulder. With yet another smirk and the whip of her hand the helpless monk was thrown backwards several feet by a surge of electricity. A light cry escaped from his lips as he was hit and landed harshly on the snowy ground on his side.

His body still did not cooperate with him as he mentally screamed for it to move. He wanted to keep Keara from trouble, but if the Seiryuu female took her she would be thrown right into peril.

"What do you want with her?" Tasuki growled.

"It's not what I want," Soi said with a smirk, "It's what Nakago wants.

"But she's not a miko!" Chiriko cried.

Chichiri struggled with the energy that bound him to his position, managing to lift himself about a foot from the ground with the use of his arms. Soi took note of this and hit him with yet another electrical attack, causing the helpless monk to clench his teeth to prevent from screaming and falling back down.

Soi laughed one last time before vanishing from sight with Keara, knowing that her mission had been to retrieve the girl, not toy with the Suzaku seshi.

* * *

Uh oh. Soi's made off with Keara! What is the gang going to do?

Find out next time! (which I'm planning to be in a week, or a few days after that)

Please review.

Thanks


	12. Chapter 12

I don't own FY

Thanks for reviewing:

**Chichiri's Wanderer**– Lol. If only it were that easy. But, alas, it is not since I love making things complicated. Lol. I do that in more than just my writing too though, which is why my animations for school drive me nuts sometimes.

**Everqueen**– Good question, one that will be answered in this chapter in fact. I agree, being kidnapped in your sleep has got to be horrible!

**FFchick **– Unfortunately Chiriko had his staff since he was carrying Keara, but I don't think the electricity binding him would have allowed for much movement (based on the anime anyway). Lol. Thank you. Nakago can be a real creep, but I felt really bad for him when I found out about his past.

**Crimson Firefox** – Thank you. And I'm here! I thought my math test was Tuesday, but it was Wensday. Just as well though. But that explains why I hadn't updated yesterday (brain was fried after having to think about math)

**D.D.Z. – **A wee bit violent aren't we. Lol. Ya, I felt bad for doing that to Chichiri, but it had to happen. Thank you as well for the complement :)

**i-like-pudding13**** – **Lol. Soi is one of those characters I find that I care little for, so I agree with your sentiments.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Chichiri slowly got to his feet; a sharp pain in his side prevented him from doing it quicker. His mind was screaming at him for not being able to protect Keara when she needed him to most, creating a headache to further bother him.

Tasuki was mutter to himself as he brushed snow off of his clothing. He was clearly unhappy about the events that had just unfolded before them. The outburst that everyone expected of him came as soon as he stood strait, "Damn Seiryuu wench!" This seemed to blow off a fair amount of steam that had not escaped through his muttering.

No one chided the bandit for his outburst, as they all felt angry and upset. Mitsukake walked over to Chichiri as he took his staff from the youngest of the group. "Do you want medicine for your injury?"

Chichiri shook his head, "No, I'll be fine no da."

At that moment Tamahome came out from the forest looking slightly upset. As he walked to his friends he did not take notice of the absence of a certain member, "Miaka wants us to go on ahead without her."

Surprised and confused faces overcame the looks that had once been held on the seshi's faces. "We can't go on just yet," Chiriko said softly.

"Wha-" it was then that Tamahome noticed what was wrong. "Where's Keara?"

"Soi took her," Mitsukake said calmly before Tasuki could yell it.

Tamahome was shocked, "Two Seiryuu in the same area?" his eyes widened, "Miaka!" He turned and ran back toward the forest but before he entered he looked over his shoulder and hastily said, "You guys find Keara. I'll find Miaka and meet you in Sairou."

"What's got him?" Tasuki asked in bewilderment.

"Two Seiryuu seshi being around probably mean that Nakago nearby as well," Chichiri explained as he walked forward, mask in hand. "We should find Keara as quickly as possible and head to Sairou."

"But what about Miaka!" Tasuki cried.

"That is something Tamahome must deal with on his own," the monk replied. "Should he meet Nakago we would only be in the way."

vvvvv

A teenage boy with light brown hair and blue eyes walked into a medium sized tent with a bowl of water and a cloth in his hands. His clothing consisted of deep blue pants, bandana, shirt, an orange tunic, and leather wrist guards.

"Yui-sama, I brought the water you wanted."

The one he had addressed looked over her shoulder from where she at near her bed with a small smile, "Thank you Suboshi." She was the same age as Miaka, wearing the same attire, but she had short sand colored hair and gray eyes that held a pain she wished to hide.

Suboshi placed the objects on the table and came to stand next to the Seiryuu no miko, gaze falling upon the girl who lay unconscious on the bed, "What does Nakago want with her?"

"I'm not sure," Yui admitted as she squeezed the water from the cloth she had just soaked. "Nakago and I are going to have a talk once he returns and he's going to tell me everything." She folded the cloth and gently placed it on Keara's forehead.

"I wonder who she is," Suboshi found himself saying.

Yui merely shrugged and made to get up when something caught her eye. Keara had inhaled deeply, a sign that she was regaining consciousness. A few short moments later her blue-gray eyes fluttered open.

"It's good to see you awake," Yui said.

Keara sat upright, but regretted the hasty movement as she suddenly felt very lightheaded and her eyes became blurry. She felt a pair on hands push her back down onto the bed before they took the cloth off of her lap where it had fallen.

"Who are you?" Suboshi asked with a demanding tone.

'Does he really expect me to answer that?' Keara's mind asked as it slowly regained its bounds once again.

When she didn't answer the seshi he was clearly un-amused, but before he could speak Yui did. "I'm Yui, now will you tell me your name?"

'Yui? Wasn't that the name of Miaka's friend?' Keara sat up again, slowly this time, and gazed at the girl for a brief moment before giving a motion to show she couldn't speak.

"What the heck are you doing?" Suboshi asked suspiciously.

"I don't think she can talk," Yui frowned. "Oh, wait," she grabbed the quill and a piece of parchment she had laying on the table behind her and handed it to the teen on her bed. "Write it, that is if you are able to."

Keara rolled her eyes at the last comment and took the paper. After quickly scratching down what she wanted to she handed it back. The message was brief, but to the point. 'The name's Keara. Where am I?'

Yui read over it quickly, "I don't know our exact location myself."

Looking over his miko's shoulder Suboshi frowned, "Keara? What kind of name is that?"

"One not of this world," Yui softly said as she looked Keara in the eyes. "How did you get here?"

Keara took the paper and quill back. 'I'm not exactly sure. I was told I'm supposed to help with something, but thus far I haven't been doing much of anything besides getting in the way.'

The miko nodded after she read the note. "So you were supposed to help Miaka," her words held a hint of hatred that did not evade the mute teen who shrugged in reply.

"So she has awakened," a new voice filled the tent. Everyone looked to the entrance of the tent and found Nakago standing there with an injured shoulder.

Yui stood and rushed over to him, "Are you alright?"

The general nodded and walked past her to the bed. "And we get to meet," a smirk came upon his face, eyes filled with a form of malice.

Keara raised a brow, taking good note of the look in his eyes, but remained unshaken by it. 'He's kind of cute, but who in the blazes is he and why the hell is he looking at me like that?' her mind asked.

"You're from another world aren't you?" It was more of a statement than a question, but either way it demanded a reply and it got one in the form of a nod. "Than we have much to discuss," he reached out to grab her arm, but found his fingers curling around a piece of parchment.

"Nakago, she can't speak," Yui explained. "I think that's what she's trying to tell you by giving you the parchment she was writing a moment ago."

"Really," the general clearly did not believe this as he uncrumpled the parchment and read over the few words on it. He leaned down to the girl before him so that their faces were mere inches apart, "Are you truly unable to speak or are you just playing around. If it does indeed prove to be the latter and you do not admit it now you will sorely regret it."

Keara's eyes narrowed into a glare, but mentally she was just short of throwing a fit. She had somehow fallen into the hands of the Seiryuu band, something she had not thought was all that bad upon getting to 'speak' with Yui, but now that she was literally face to face with Nakago, the one Seiryuu seshi she had heard everyone speak about unhappily, she was unnerved.

Her mind could not piece together how this had all happened. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was Tamahome holding Nuriko. The mere thought of her fallen friend nearly broke her calm façade, but she managed to keep her nerves in tack.

It was because of her last memories however that she knew she had been around her friends before she had blacked out. So how had she fallen into the hands of the Seiryuu? Her face suddenly broke into sadness as the only answer that seemed to make any sense broke through her mind.

They must have left her.

Nakago smirked at the sight of her face, knowing all to well what must have just come to her mind after several moments of her glaring. "You're _friends_, as you call them, won't come looking for you."

Keara clenched her jaw and closed her eyes, turning her head to the side to try and hide the fact that tears wanted nothing more than to slide down her face. 'Why?' her mind asked as she felt an unwanted loneliness befall her heart.

"Nakago?" Yui was confused. She had been under the impression that Soi had knocked her out when she had brought the teen into her tent slung over her shoulder. 'I suppose its not surprising that Miaka would yet again betray a friend,' she found her mind saying.

The general stood upright, smirk still in place, before he turned around. As he exited the tent he swiftly picked something up off the table before Keara could take note of it and have any thoughts that would counter the ones she had already.

"Watch her," was all he said before he disappeared outside.

* * *

Oh boy. Keara's got the wrong idea! And as always Nakago is being a creep. What was it Nakago picked up (hopefully that won't be hard to figure out)? How and when will the gang save her?

Find out as the chapter progress.

Please review.

Thanks!


	13. Chapter 13

I don't own FY

I don't have time for my normal ways of thanks, but thank you for reviewing; **Lady of the Cats****D.D.Z.****Everqueen****, Crimson Firefox, ****YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko****Chichiri's Wanderer****, ewierdo, and ****Maeleana**

I didn't formally review because I am dreadfully tired. My graduation from HS was yesterday (the 24th... WOOT...erm...ya) and I was up well into the next morning at the all night graduation party held by the school and had very little sleep because I had a friend's grad party to go to in the late morning.

This chapter is shorter than normal because I wrote it today when my attention span was zip due to lack of sleep. Sorry, but I think I did an alright job with it none the less.

* * *

**Chapter 13**

Keara sat on the chair in Lady Yui's tent thinking. She didn't want to believe that Miaka and the others would just leave her, much less handed her over to the Seiryuu, but what other reason could there be for her falling into their hands.

With a silent sigh she ran a hand through her shoulder length hair. Whatever her reason for being where she was she knew one thing for fact, she was stuck. The boy Yui had addressed as Suboshi was sitting outside the tent to prevent her from going anywhere, but it gave her some privacy since he wasn't within the tent itself.

She intertwined her fingers, elbows resting on her legs, and placed her lips on them. Her mind wandered from her current situation to her friends and teammates in her world. 'I wonder how they are,' she thought, 'And if they've given up hope of finding me.'

Before her mind could travel any farther Yui walked in with a tray, a smile gracing her face, "I thought you might want some tea." She placed the tray down on the table before glancing once again at the mute teen, whom hadn't moved a muscle since her entrance.

"Here," Yui handed her a cup. "I wouldn't think too much of Miaka and the others in her band if I were you. It's not the first time Miaka alone has hurt someone she had deemed as a friend."

Keara took the tea as she listened, mind not quite sure why she wanted to hear it. She took a sip of the warm liquid before staring down into it, watching as her images wavered back and forth in the ripples.

"Where are you from?" Yui asked as she watched the girl before her curiously. "Oh!" She suddenly remembered that there was no way for Keara to give a verbal response and quickly handed her a piece of parchment and a quill from the far end of the table, "Sorry."

Placing her cup down Keara and took the objects from the Seiryuu no miko. 'Another world much like yourself I presume since I heard you were friends with Miaka.'

"Once were friends," Yui corrected almost bitterly after reading the message. "But, you're from my world," she smiled, "Where do you live?"

'United States,' Keara wrote in reply, 'But when I was brought here I was in Australia for the Olympics.'

Yui's eyes widened, "What did you do there?"

'Gymnastics.'

"That's amazing," Yui said in awe, "It takes extreme dedication just get into the level required for such competitions. Congratulations."

Keara nodded with a smile to show her thanks. Extreme dedication, willingness to never give up when the going gets tough, ability to take all the criticism and lies people make about you and the willingness to take risks were all parts of how she had gotten so far.

At that moment Nakago came to stand in the entrance, "Lady Yui, may I have a word."

Yui looked over to him in slight confusion, "Of course." She got up and walked outside with the general.

Keara sighed and looked at her hands. Her broken finger was still slightly swollen, but not nearly as badly as it had once been.

_How's your finger no da_. Keara shook her head. 'Why did I just hear Chichiri's voice?' she questioned her mind.

_You were really brave back there Keara. I'm really impressed._ 'Nuriko?'

"_Get out of your super deformed mode Chichiri! That'll scare her even more. _'Tasuki too?'

_It sounds like you two did your best up here. That's the important part Keara._ 'That was Tamahome.'

She was deeply confused as to why she was hearing her friend's voices. It didn't make all that much sense in her mind. If they had left her why was her mind dwelling on something that only hurt her.

Her mind suddenly replayed with 'Because they care about you more than they're leading you to belive.'

Her mind turned to what she had thought of moments ago, just after Yui had congratulated her. 'People have lied about me as well as lied to my face before…' she thought a moment, wondering if her mind was trying to tell her something, 'Nakago might have been lying to me…'

'I need to find out what's the truth and what's a lie,' she thought as she stood. 'But I don't think Nakago is going to come out and admit he was lying.' She frowned for a moment before a smirk came to her face, 'I could always eavesdrop.'

With that idea in tact there came one last dilemma, how was she going to get out of the tent with Suboshi guarding it?

* * *

How is she going to get by the boy with the evil yo-yo like death tools?

Please Review

Thanks


	14. Chapter 14

I don't own FY

Thanks for reviewing:

**Everqueen**– Lol. I couldn't make her as nieve to believe the only people she trusted in the FY world betrayed her now could I? … OK I could have if I wanted to. Lol

**Crimson Firefox **– Sorry. I made up for it though. This chapter is six pages long! The last chapter was two pages and usually I make my chapters three to four pages.

**yumichan808** – (for chapters one and thirteen) Thank you. Oh, I guess I confused you on that part. The 'all around' is what Keara had been doing, I think you're confusing it with the singles where a person competes for a medal on whatever apparatus they are using. In the Olympic there are three competitions; team, all around, and singles. I can see how it gets mixed up though since in the singles the gymnasts often do all the apparatuses anyway, but that's different that from the 'all around' where the title of '_World's Best Gymnast'_ is given. I used to be a gymnasts, but when I reached middle school I had to choose between it and ballet… I chose ballet. Lol. Sorry, I really should have made a warning about spoilers.

**Chichiri's Wanderer**– Lol. That is an interesting idea and I had thought of that, but the yo-yo's of death became problematic since it would be in Suboshi's personality to take them out if she did something like that.

**aznchild**** – **Thank you and Sorry for making the updates see so long. I try to update once a week, usually on weekends unless something comes up (the weekend that just past I was stuck cleaning my house for my grad party Sunday, so that's why this is a bit late). No, sorry, I didn't graduate from there.

**YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko**– Sorry, I wrote it the same day as I graduated so I was really antsy and tired as well since I wrote it at different times. You see that in this chapter:)

**Tsukikage – **Aw thank you:D I'm not going to stop till I finish, so no worries. I hope you'll like everything that is to come as well!

* * *

**Chapter 14**

Keara sat back in her chair, a deep frown on her face, arms and legs crossed, as she studied the tents entrance. There seemed to be no way to get away unnoticed since she knew Suboshi sat just outside it. He was undoubtedly a good fighter, something she was not, and he most likely had not problem with stopping her with any means necessary.

She silently sighed in agitation before picking up her cup of tea. Before she took a sip a thought came to her, causing her to look over at the table to see a tray and Yui's cup.

'This might just work,' she thought to herself as she quickly finished her tea, dumped out Yui's and placed them both back on the tray. With a final glace at the entrance she picked up the tray and quietly walked to it, stepping off to the side so she couldn't be seen should anyone look in.

Carefully, so as not to make any noise, she took the two cups in one hand and placed the tray between her legs. 'Let my aim be good,' she prayed as she took a cup in her good hand. Taking a deep breath she threw the cup at the table and nearly jumped for joy when it shattered upon its surface.

"What are you doing it there?" Suboshi asked from where he sat, but did not move from his spot.

Not feeling discouraged in the least she threw the other cup, shattering it upon the table as well. She smiled at the agitated noise the boy made as he picked himself up off the ground. "Stop breaking lady Yui's st-" he stopped speaking only when he had entered the tent and could not find the mute teen. "Hey, where'd you go?"

Keara pressed herself as close to the tents side as she could without making it move with her weight. When the boy moved forward even more she quickly slipped through the flaps, leaving a very baffled seshi to try and find her.

Mentally the girl cheered as she quickly ran, not wanting to be around when the boy came out to hunt her down. She was glad to finally be out in the moon light and not in a tent where she had no means of seeing the sky without being yelled at. The air was chilling, which was the only fault she found in leaving the warm tent, but it was not something she would go back for.

She felt as if Lady Luck was finally on her side as she saw that there was only one other tent in the clearing, leaving it to be the only place Nakago would have taken the miko at this time of night. Taking a few slow steps she came to a stop at the tents entrance, a bit to the side so she would not be noticeable.

"You knew she was from another world from the beginning didn't you Nakago?" Yui asked in slight agitation.

"I had a high belief of it and nothing more," Nakago told her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Yui asked.

"It did not seem necessary."

Keara rolled her eyes. Her being from another world would strike her as something important in the eyes of anyone else, especially when it came to people such as Miaka and Yui since they could understand each other much more than anyone else in this world could.

"What did you want her for?" Yui asked.

The slight clinking of Nakago's armor was heard as he moved. "She is not a miko, which means she was brought here for another reason."

"She said she was here to help Miaka," the name of the girl came out in a way that could almost be called snide.

"That can be changed easily enough."

There was a moment's pause. "You mean the kodoku?"

'The what?' Keara found her mind asking.

"Yes," was the general's reply. "And this time there is no strong bond to break it as Tamahome had."

"I don't know, she seems keen on the idea that her friends betrayed her," Yui said. "I feel bad about making her believe that though," there was a sigh, "the feeling it brings is so painful."

This shocked the mute teen. 'So they really hadn't deserted me,' she was angry that she had even thought it to be true. 'I should have known better!'

"But it is necessary lady Yui, we don't want her aiding our enemy."

"I know," Yui replied softly, "But still, I know what pain she must feel."

Keara peered in through the entrance flaps. She could see Nakago standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, a stern look plastered on his face. Standing not a few feet away was Yui with one hand to her breast as if feeling a pain in her heart, a saddened look of her face.

She was about to pull away from the entrance when something resting on the table caught her attention. It seemed to be blue with white markings on it. 'Bubbles,' she corrected herself. 'Wait a second!' her mind yelled, 'Chichiri's cape has bubbles!'

'Shoot,' she thought, 'I can't leave until I get that back.' She knew all to well that the cape meant a lot to the monk, something to do with his abilities she guessed.

"Hey!" Suboshi's voice was heard approaching her.

Keara's face faltered, 'What am I going to do now?' Suddenly she remembered the tray in her hands and did her best to hide it as she turned to face him with a look that could be compared to a child's when caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

The boy stopped in front of her with an agitated look and put his hand out, "Hand over whatever you've got."

"Suboshi?" Yui called from inside the tent.

"Hand it over," Suboshi commanded again. When Keara shook her head he made to grab her, but was stopped by a blow to the side of his head. While it had not been enough to knock the seshi out it was enough to make a rather large dent in the metal tray and cause him to lie on the ground clutching his head in pain.

Nakago was quick to appear and Keara attempted to hit him with the damaged tray, but the general easily caught it, not that she had really expected to hit him. What she had expected was for it to distract him, which it did for a split second, more than enough for her to dart into the tent and grab the cape, shocking the Seiryuu no miko.

Now the problem was getting back out. 'Hadn't thought about that,' she confessed to herself as she saw Nakago quickly approaching her. 'Exit stage left!'

She darted to the left, running into the tent wall with enough force to knock the spikes on the opposite side out of the ground and cause the tent to collapse on itself. Struggling under the tarp Keara looked for an end so she could make her get away, finding one moments later she crawled out just before Nakago grabbed her ankle.

Dodging a lightning bolt from Soi she ran into the forest faster than she thought possible of herself. She nearly fell over branches and roots several times, but somehow found her bearings quick enough to prevent an unwanted face plant.

She ran through the trees, zigzagging as she went, hoping to loose the Seiryuu seshi's who were undoubtedly following her. As she rounded another tree, dodging a large rock, she felt herself collide with something very solid, knocking it over with her on top of it.

"Itai no da," the solid object complained.

'No da!' she knew those simple words better than anything. Sitting up she beamed happily at the monk as he too sat himself up. 'Chichiri!' her mind screamed in joy as she wrapped the helpless monk in a tight hug.

"Keara, are you alright no da?"

The girl nodded, but did not pull away, all to glad to be back with someone that didn't want to use her or tell her nasty lies. Suddenly she remembered the cape, which made her pull away and look around for it.

"What's wrong no da?"

Keara sighed as she found it, mentally scolding herself for not seeing it in her lap to begin with. She picked it up and smiled at him.

He smiled back, "Lets get out of here no da." He stood and held out a hand, which the mute teen gladly took. He motioned for her to follow before he turned and stated to walk away.

Call it his body movement if you wish, but Keara knew something was very wrong. His words might have been dead on, but the way he moved was very- dare she think- un Chichiri like.

She looked down at the cape in her hands and frowned, 'He hadn't even noticed it.'

"Something the matter no da?" Chichiri asked.

Without even looking up she darted away, running perpendicular to the imposter's location. She heard a sharp curse, proving her thought correct as the monk she knew did not strike her as someone to use fowl language.

A black vine with thrones skinned her arm as she ran. Looking back in surprise she found someone she had never seen before, but knew he was a Seiryuu seshi. From her quick glance all she could tell was that he had a painted face and a ridiculous hair style.

'Someone help me!' Her mind screamed as she brought her gaze back forward. The cape came undone from the hasty folding job she had done, leaving about half of it to flap behind her as she ran.

She heard a cry of, "Rekka shien!" but paid it no heed as she kept running, afraid of being caught again.

To her dismay and sheer surprise she felt a sharp tug on the piece of the cape trailing behind her. The tug was hard enough to stop her dead in her track and make her fall backwards. She never hit the ground however as someone caught her, so instead she landed on them.

Turning in a panic she expected to find the face painted seshi, only this time she found Chichiri yet again beneath her. He smiled up at her, "Konbanwa no da."

She wasn't sure if this was a trick or not so she allowed him to sit up before she made her move. Instead of hugging him like last time she grabbed his face and attempted to make his lips pucker like a child would do to look like a fish, but instead she found that she pulled his face off.

Now completely freaked out she threw the mask to the side and crawled backwards in horror. Chichiri sat there nervously, "That was my mask no da." He attempted to hold the jovial voice Keara knew, but found it harder now that his mask was no longer in place.

"Keara," Chiriko ran to her side. "Are you alright?"

"Are you injured?" Mitsukake asked as he too came to rest at her side. Having not grabbed her attention he gently took her chin his hands and turned her gaze to him, "Are you hurt?"

Keara shook her head. She wasn't sure if what she was seeing was real. Surly if the face painted seshi could change his own appearance he could do the same to others.

"The damn Seiryuu got away," Tasuki growled as he walked into view, fan in hand. One look at the mute girl made him concerned, "You alright Keara?"

"She's had quite a fright," Chichiri told him as he picked up his mask from where it had been thrown. "Tomo must have taken the appearance of one of us, so she doesn't know if we're for real or not." Silently he knew it must have been himself since she had grabbed at his face and not hugged him. 'Bad way to find out I wear a mask,' he thought with a groan.

"Oi, those damn Seiryuu!" the bandit yelled. "I'll make 'em all pay!"

"Tasuki calm down," Mitsukake said calmly. "We are no match for the Seiryuu when their together."

"Especially without Tamahome who can fight Nakago," Chiriko pointed out. The bandit growled and put away his fan.

Chichiri put on his mask before walking up to the frightened girl where he knelt down in a typical Japanese style. "It's alright Keara no da. We're for real." He looked down at the cape still in the girls arms and smiled, "Thank you for brining back my kesa no da."

Tears welled up in the girls eyes. "What'd I say no da?" his voice was filled with worry.

Keara stared to spell out something with her hands, but remembered they couldn't understand it. So instead, as her tears fell down her cheeks, she wrapped her arms around the real monk's neck and hugged him tightly.

"It'll be alright Keara," Chichiri said soothingly, letting his jovial act fall despite his mask being in place as he wrapped his arms around her.

"It'll be alright," he repeated quietly.

* * *

Poor Keara. She's had one hell of a day! At least she'd back in safe arms. And poor Suboshi! He was wailed with a metal tray O.o

Please review

Thanks!


	15. Chapter 15

I don't own FY.

Sorry guys, I forgot to tell you that I was going on vacation! But I'm back! Um.. You'll notice that not all my stories were updates as usual. No worries, the other stories will be updated either tomorrow or Monday at the absolute latest.

I kind of got carried away reading the newest Harry Potter book and had to get out a few ideas in the form of a story before my mind would let me concentrate on any of my other stories XP

Thanks for reviewing:

**quillian91**** – **I'm glad your enjoying it! Can't say there's any lovey-dovey stuff in this chapter, but I hope you'll see its heading there at a faster rate than it has been.

**Tsukikage – **Lol. The last was full of action and you were right, this one is mellower than before, but you might find yourself laughing at the poor monk at a point. Aw, fluff. Lol. Unfortunately fluff isn't Keara's plan here. I made it as long as my mind would allow me to concentrate on it, which was long than expected, six and a quarter pages to be exact (not counting this top blog or the ending one).

**Everqueen**** – **Lol. Understandable from a certain view point. I see both ways having seen him as you probably do now, wanting him to be clobbered, and then I got to analyzing him a bit more and felt kind of sorry for him. I will admit I still think he's a bit of a jerk though XP And Thank you :D

**Chichiri's Wanderer**** – **Brief, but to the point XD Well, I couldn't have had Nakago pop out of no where (which he seems prone to do) and recapture her could I… Actually I could have XP But that'd be no fun at all. Lol

**Crimson Firefox – **Lol. I do feel Suboshi is a bit of a jerk, but I felt bad in the manner to which he was struck, just walking up to her not meaning to harm her and all. Oh well XD

**yumichan808**** - **Do they… Ok she does… at least in her heart, can't say her silly minds caught on yet… then again… hmmm, you be the judge by the end of this chapter.

**i-like-pudding13**** - **That is amusing and weird. Lol. But hey, it means we have good taste XD And thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

**ChirikoFan**– Thanks and will do! I don't plan to leave this story unfinished. And sorry for the delay!

**YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko**– Lol. I'm glad no one thought I should have left her with Nakago… that'd have been creepy O.o

**D.D.Z.**– Glad I'm keeping you interested in the story :D Hmmm, maybe I should do more Chichiri-to-the-rescue… Lol, just had a strange image of Chichiri in spandex XD

* * *

Chapter 15

It was several hours after the seshi's had found their mute friend that they stopped to rest. Dawn was only a few short hours away, but everyone was exhausted, especially Keara, who had collapsed to her side and fallen asleep almost instantly upon their making camp.

Chichiri smiled softly to himself and gently placed his kesa over her. She had been through much in the last day, much more than she should have ever had to go through in such a short amount of time. He had been worried for her since they had been reunited, mostly due to her distant manner. Even though she could not talk she had always been full of energy, smiling and using different methods to communicate with them, but after she was safe she kept to herself.

Perhaps it was because of her peaceful face that he felt less worried for the girl who now slept. Pieces of stray hair rested in her face and he was tempted to brush them away, but somehow resisted the urge.

He sat himself down a few feet away from her with a small sigh. As the flames swayed to and fro he found his mind beginning to slip from the physical realm.

"Chichiri," Tasuki began with a yawn, "Seems Keara has your kesa more than you do."

The monk smiled tiredly as he gazed over to the sleeping girl, "Hai."

vvvvv

When Chichiri awoke later that morning the sun was up and shining, revealing it to be around nine o'clock. With a yawn he sat up and stretched out his limbs to get the blood flowing more quickly, causing several joints to pop.

He removed the blanket around him only to stop before he let it out of his hands. He didn't remember having a blanket when he had fallen asleep. Looking to the object he noticed, with great surprise, that it was his kesa.

His gaze darted over to where Keara had been when he had placed it on her, only to find her missing. Getting quickly to his feet he tied his kesa over his shoulder as he looked about camp for any signs to where she could have vanished to.

Keara's bag, which Tasuki had been carrying, was missing as well it seemed. With a frown the monk quietly walked over to the sleeping redheaded seshi, debating whether or not to wake his friends up. Upon finding light foot prints he decided against it.

Following the tracks he found they led into an area covered with trees and shrubs. He would have completely lost the trail if it wasn't for a black shoe lying in the middle of nowhere. "This is Keara's," he murmured to himself as he picked it up.

Worry began to change to panic. Surely Keara wouldn't just leave her shoe lying around. With the object held firmly in his hand he kept moving forward, ready to fight any Seiryuu seshi that dared to once again take the girl from him… 'them,' his mind corrected after a second.

Perhaps he should have awoken his friends, if a battle was indeed what was to occur he might need help, depending on the opposing seshi. With a breath he readied himself for anything that might happen.

Anything, that is, except for what came to be in front of him as he brushed away a vine covered branch. Before him was a small lake, shining merrily in the morning sun light, cloths draped over a branch next to him and the girl he'd been looking for staring at him from within the water with a bright red face.

Shaking himself from his dazed state he cried, "Gomen nasai!" and turned around. He thanked Suzaku that his mask was on as he felt the heat rise right up to his face. Without another word he retreated back to camp after dropping her shoe next to its sister.

The walk back to camp seemed much shorter than before, mostly due to him taking larger strides in his attempt to leave behind his embarrassment. He felt deeply foolish for not thinking that she had gone off to do personal things, especially since his kesa had ended up over him and not crumpled on the ground as it would have had she been kidnapped again.

The camp was livelier than when he had left it now that his companions were awake. Mitsukake was brewing some tea, Chiriko was looking over a map and Tasuki was off somewhere probably answering a call of nature.

Quietly the monk sat down Indian style and set about cleaning his staff, his mind far from concentrating on the simple task. Mitsukake noted this easily, "Is something the matter Chichiri?" Nothing was said in response, but the monk's message was conveyed through a shake of his head.

"I thought it was Keara's job ta give body signals," Tasuki joked as he came into the area, hands in his pockets.

"Where did Keara disappear to?" Chiriko asked as he looked up from the map.

There was silence, but to Chichiri's relief it did not last long for the one asked about to that moment to walk into view. Her bag lay over one shoulder and her opposite hand was running through her wet hair to remove stray tangles.

"We were just askin' where ya went Keara," Tasuki said with a grin as he sat down on the ground.

Keara smiled softly at him before sitting herself down in the same spot she had slept at without looking at Chichiri. A faint reddish ting played on her cheeks as she continued to pull her fingers through her shoulder length hair in an almost nervous manner.

"Chichiri, why don't you go down to the lake and catch some fish," Mitsukake said, breaking the silence that had once again befallen them.

"Hai," the monk replied quietly as he quickly stood and walked away.

Chiriko rolled up the map and put it away. "We're off course, but we'll be able to get back on it if we travel about four hours due east."

"We're that off course eh?" Tasuki asked in surprise. At the boys nod he shrugged, "Was well worth it."

Keara blushed slightly harder as she brought her hands down to rest in her lap. She had thought her rescue had been a nuisance upon hearing how off course they had gotten because of it, but now she thought differently.

"Keara," Mitsukake began, "Would you mind taking this down to Chichiri?" He held out a cup of steaming tea. The mute teen looked at him nervously at first but quickly nodded and took the cup from him. "Would you like some yourself?" he then asked.

With the shake of her head she made her answer known before repositioning her bag on her shoulder and walking off in the direction she had come from not long ago. The scent of the tea was unmistakably Jasmine, something she only knew because a fellow gymnast she was friends with was a big tea drinker, something she was not.

Her mind once again found itself asking if people were looking for her back home. With a sigh she pushed them away knowing it was worthless to think about matters over which she had no control, or no way of ever finding out.

She brushed aside the vine covered branch and looked about for the monk, finding him several yards to her right with a fishing pole in his hands. Where he had gotten it from she could only guess, but she figured it had something to do with his seshi abilities.

Chichiri caught notice of her before she did him. He remained silent until she was only a few feet away, "Ohayou no da."

Only a soft smile reveled that she had heard him. Taking in a deep breath she sat down next to the seshi before holding out the tea cup in her hand.

"Arigato no da," Chichiri smiled as he took the cup with one hand, being mindful of the fishing pole in his other.

Silence fell upon the two of them, making both uneasy. Chichiri sipped on his tea for a moment before placing it on the ground and looking back to the lake. Keara was once again running her fingers through her loose hair, her gaze lost in the shallows of the water.

"Keara," Chichiri said softly without looking at her, "Sorry for before."

The mute teen stopped playing with her hair, resting her hands in her lap. She knew Chichiri had not meant to see her bathing, only came to look for her, as she had gathered based his hasty retreat and on Chiriko's question, but that did not help cure her embarrassment.

Chichiri sighed softly and looked to her. "Keara I –" he stopped as he felt a finger under his chin.

Keara quickly took away her hand and placed it over her own face only to bring it away, fingers closer together, a second later. Confused the monk asked, "What?" This made the girl frown and spell something out with her hands before she smacked her forehead and shook her head, felling stupid for once again forgetting that he could not understand sign language.

Without warning she reached up and gave a gentle squeeze to his cheeks, purposely pulling the mask millimeters from its original position before taking her hand away. Understanding crossed the monks face and he took his mask off with one hand as he continued to face her. "My mask," he handed it to her, "Is that what you said through your hands?"

Keara nodded her head. She pointed to the mask then proceeded to spell it out with a calm face. The monk attempted to mimic, but needed correction on the letter 'k.' He smiled at her, "You'll have to teach me this language of yours," he looked at his hand, "It's interesting."

Shrugging the teen looked down at the mask in her hands. This startled the monk slightly; he had expected her attention to be drawn to his scar, not his mask when it was removed. She soon looked up to him however and spelt out another word before running her index finger over her left eye.

"Scar?" Chichiri asked. He knew all to well what the motion was, but he was curious if what she had spelled was the same thing. Her nod answered his question and he turned his gaze back to the lake. "It's a constant reminder of my past."

Keara wasn't exactly sure what he meant through that. Having the scar could mean countless things such as a battle, an accident when working, someone attempting to murder him and so many more possibilities. Whatever the reason one thing was for sure, it had affected him greatly.

"When I was around your age I lost the two most important people in my life," Chichiri said softly. "One of their deaths was completely my fault."

Keara's face fell. She knew how it felt to lose people you care greatly about, she had, after all, lost her boy friend and best friend within a two month time span. With a sigh of sadness she placed the mask on the ground next to her, resting her bag next to it a moment later.

"Kouran was my fiancé, she drowned in the flood that wiped out my entire village," his voice was soft, but could not conceal his pain.

A gentle hand fell upon his shoulder and gave a firm squeeze before returning to its gentle touch. Chichiri looked over to find Keara was the cause, not that he had expected anything different, a look on her face that told him he needn't speak of the matter anymore if he did not wish to.

With a faint smile Chichiri placed a hand over hers, "It's alright. If I could tell Miaka I can tell you." He sighed and removed his hand so Keara could lay her own back in her lap. "Hikou was my best friend," he said after a moment, "I fought him after I saw him kissing Kouran." He closed his eyes, "I paid no heed to the flooding around us, all I wanted was revenge. I wanted to get Kouran back."

His voice gave way that he was struggling to hold back a wave of emotion, something that triggered the idea that he had not gone into so much detail with Miaka within Keara as she listened with a heavy heart.

"The flood caused the land to become unstable and Hikou fell into the raging river," his hands tightened around the fishing rod, his knuckles beginning to turn white from the pressure. "I had grabbed his hand," he seemed to be having a mental battle with himself, "But I let go and he drowned."

'Let go?' her mind questioned. She looked down at her mending finger. 'That day on the boat, he had tried to save me from falling into the violent ocean, but I fell when his hand loosened from him slipping on deck.' She looked at him sadly, 'It was a normal reaction given the predicament, I wonder if that's what happened with Hikou.'

She watched him as he slowly released his firm grip on the fishing rod, pain flickering behind his reddish-brown eye. Unsure of what she should do she reached over to her bag and pulled out her sketch book and a pen. Opening to a fresh page she wrote out, after several moments of thought, 'How exactly did you receive your scar?'

Chichiri read over the question when the book was handed to him. With a sigh he handed it back to her, "It was when I was trying to help Hikou," he paused briefly as he looked into the depths of the water. "Large pieces of debris were rush down the river, one of which collide with my face, giving me this scar and causing me to- " he closed his eye, "let go," this came out softly.

Keara sighed softly. She knew how he felt, blaming himself for the death of someone who had once held a large place in his heart. The situation, however, was much like her own when it came to the loss of Jason in the single fact that in the end there had been nothing they could have truly done. Unfortunately that reasoning never did help with eradicating the pain that the heart holds onto.

She turned her gaze to the mask that lay beside her and Taiitsukun's words suddenly popped into her mind. _'Despite everything you've been through you put on a 'mask' of glee so as not to worry others… This is much like another member of the Suzaku seven, though he is more literal to this.'_

'So Chichiri is the one she meant,' Keara though as she picked up the mask. Placing it on her knee she wrote out a message and ripped the page out of the book before putting it in her bag. Quietly she folded up the paper in her hand and gave it to Chichiri along with his mask.

With a faint smile to him she stood, placing her bag over her shoulder. After she gave him a gentle squeeze on his shoulder she turned and departed back to camp.

Chichiri was confused and taken aback by this. He had not expected her reaction to his recollection to be as it turned out to be, but then again, he admitted, he didn't really know what he had expected.

Placing the mask beside him he looked at the folded piece of paper now in his hand. He hesitated a moment before firmly placing the fishing pole in the ground on his other side and opened the paper to its proper length.

The first message she had used to speak to him lay near the top, but he paid it no heed; the message she had left him was in the middle. He looked up from the paper when he was finished reading it and closed his eye for a very brief moment before he jumped to his feet and ran after Keara, who had just left the lakes presences. The note was left to fall, coming to rest beside his mask.

_There are times when out hearts feel weary,_

_When we want nothing more than to run and hide._

_There are times when our souls becomes all teary,_

_Yet we strive on so as not to be lost in it relentless tides._

_The pains of the past tear at our minds,_

_As if to try and torment us like a never ending nightmare._

_It attempts to keep up from striving with its tight mental binds,_

_And it could rightfully succeed if it weren't for friends who care._

_Events do seem to be blamed within our very hearts,_

_Even if, truth be told, there was nothing that could have been done._

_The feeling left within its wake does rightfully smart,_

_But if we chose too we can move on and truly be graced by the light of the sun._

* * *

Aww, she wrote a poem! It rhymes following the path of ABAB CDCD EFEF. This basically means that in each paragraph every other sentence rhymes (the last words anyways).

So, what did Keara mean by the poem (which took me forever to write in this particular rhyme scheme)?

Please review!

Thanks!


	16. Chapter 16

I don't own FY

Guys I am SOOO sorry for this extremely late update. I had been getting ready for college and for the last two weeks I have been in college. Homework is long (one class in fact had us read 45 pages, ONE class mind you and I'm a bit of a slow reader). I'm trying my best to get things updated on time, but it's more difficult now than it ever has been (especially since I have 2 other roommates and I have the only computer, so we all share). So don't think I'm abandoning this story or anything, I really want to finish it. All I need is time.

Thanks for reviewing:

**Everqueen**** – **Lol. Thanks. I didn't want it to seem too sappy and it seems I pulled it off the way I wanted. Aw, thanks. It's good to hear I'm not getting worse.

**quillian91**** – **Thank you. I got kind of angry at the site though. When I had typed it there were paragraphs, but the site squished it all together. I have to see if I can fix that. Really? Wow, that's a huge complement to me. Thanks so much. Ya, there does seem to be more Tasuki stories than Chichiri ones (I haven't looked up Hotohori, so I'll take your word on it)…

**Lady of the Cats**** – **Lol. It seems that a fair amount of people don't understand the poem. Lol. Well I did describe a small portion of it in this chapter and I'll have to explain it at a later date (I'm a bit rushed now so I can't).

**Tsukikage – **Lol. Glad you liked it, for both things (did you review twice? Lol)

**YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko**** –** He was unintentionally spying. Lol.

**D.D.Z.**** – **Lol. You're not the only one who didn't understand it, so don't worry. Hehe, I'm glad you thought it was funny and cute as well.

**kwaiiChan-chan**** – **Thank you! Once again, I am sorry for the late update.

**Houjun Ri**** – **Glad you liked it :) I'm sorry for updating late T.T

**Chichiri's Wanderer**** – **Yey, I get a hug :D

**kagami-ryu**** – **Wahoo, I made my character cool :) Lol. Sorry for the late update!

* * *

**Chapter 16**

Chichiri found his mind reeling over the poem as he walked behind everyone. He had wanted to talk to Keara, had wanted to find out why she had written such a thing, but by the time he had caught up to her Tasuki was in their presence. Sighing quietly he pinched the bridge of his nose through the mask. Why was everything getting so confusing?

_The pains of the past tear at our minds_,

_As if to try and torment us like a never ending nightmare._

The poem seemed to be saying that she felt the same as him, but how could that be? She did not strike him as someone pained by a dark past- then again he did not act like one either when his mask was in place.

Keara walked calmly beside Mitsukake while fiddling with some strange small gadget in her hands. An odd feeling emerged within the pits of his stomach as he remembered she was from another world. He had become so accustomed to her being around that even though she was different from them the fact passed right over his mind, as did the fact that she would have to go back home eventually…

"What's that?" Chiriko asked as he looked at the gadget in Keara's hands. It was smaller than her palm, egg shaped and had three buttons at the bottom of it. After pressing one of the buttons she lowered it and pointed out the name. "Tamagochi?"

Keara nodded and mouthed 'fake pet.'

Nodding Chiriko decided to drop it, not quite understanding how the gadget could be any type of a pet. He watched as Keara went back to playing with the devise before fixing his eyes on the path once again.

The sudden feeling of her hair stating on edge on the back of her neck caused Keara to duck down in an almost instinctive fashion. It proved to have been a good decision on her part as, not a moment later, a lighting bolt flew over where her chest had just been. Chiriko yelped loudly as a fragment of the electricity tickled his face and neck.

"It's Soi," Mitsukake said as he looked around for any sign of the lightning Seiryuu.

Chichiri was quickly at Keara's side, helping her back to her feet. The girl shook in what he hoped was fear, knowing it was better than her shaking from being electrocuted. One look at her face confirmed that she was bother frightened and shell-shocked. The gadget she had been holding was clenched so tightly in her hand her knuckles were white.

"It's alright Keara no da," he told her quietly as he gave her support. He wasn't too concerned with looking for the opposing seshi, knowing his fellow comrades could do that well enough without him. Right now he was concerned with Keara, especially since it seemed the Seiryuu wanted her back, even if it meant bringing her harm to do so.

Another bolt of lightning shot through the air, striking the earth just in front of Keara. She jumped from the tickling in her feet, knocking into Chichiri, who lost his balance and had to take a large step backwards to prevent himself from falling over. Keara's face was ghastly pale and she shook more than she had just a moment before.

"Oi, Chichiri, get 'er outta here," Tasuki yelled over his shoulder, his tessen held firmly in his hand, ready to be used at a moments notice.

"Hai," Chichiri replied, taking Keara's hand firmly. Giving her just a moments warning he took off running away from where a battle was quickly brewing. He was mindful of his pace, knowing that his legs were longer than Keara's own, a state of shock still mixed on her features.

A cry from behind them reveled that the other seshi had found Soi, or that she had appeared before them. The monk paid it no more heed however, knowing that if the Seiryuu were truly out to capture Keara again there would be more than one on the task, especially if they knew she was with four of the Suzaku seshi.

As if on queue Suboshi jumped out of a tree not far in front of them. Without hesitation he whipped his deadly ball on a string towards them. Quickly Chichiri turned, wrapped his arm firmly around Keara's shoulder and twisted to the side, narrowly evading the ball in time.

Before the monk could say anything Suboshi's deadly weapon was coming towards them once again. To evade it this time he had to throw both himself and the one he was protecting to the ground, his masked face ending up inches from hers. If it hadn't been for their current predicament the situation might have seemed quite awkward.

Knowing there was little time left to spare Chichiri straitened himself, ripped his kesa off his shoulder and summoned his staff from it. In seconds he had a shield around Keara and himself, which was struck not a moment later by the opposing Seshi.

The barrier held up well against the reoccurring attacks and the monk showed no signs of faltering. That was, he showed no sign of faltering until Nakago decided to make an appearance. Using his energy the Seiryuu general completely and utterly destroyed Chichiri's shield and sent him flying for several yards, where he crashed roughly into the ground and slid for several more feet.

Had Keara been gifted with a voice she would have screamed bloody murder, but she did not have such a gift and so she simply became paler than before (if such a feat were possible) and stared wide eyed at the offending blond seshi. Last time she had been able to create a distraction to get away from him, but now there was nothing she could use and there was another seshi not far away who could grab her if she did in fact find a way to get around the tall blond general now in front of her.

Backing away she did the first thing that came to her mind; throw her Tamagochi at him. She hadn't truly anticipated it to do much and she was right to think so, for Nakago caught it with little effort. With some curiosity the general looked down at the object now in his hands, raising a brow at the pixilated little creature dancing on the screen.

Feeling this was her time to make a move, if she was ever going to make one, she darted towards her fallen friend, who still lay motionless on the ground in what looked like an uncomfortable position. Neither Nakago nor Suboshi made an attempt to stop her, seeing all to well where she was going and knew she wasn't going to leave without him.

'Please be alright Chichiri,' her mind thought in a panic. She was more frightened that she had ever thought possible, but she was deeply worried for the monk, who, undoubtedly, was the cause of a fair amount of her current fright. Gently she shook his shoulders, trying to rouse him in a way that would cause him as little pain as possible.

Footsteps from behind alerted her of Nakago approaching them. Time was running out, not that she knew how they would get out of their current mess, even if Chichiri suddenly awoke.

Grasping his shoulders she carefully turned him so that he was now lying on his back, part of which now rested on her legs. His mask was torn almost in two and blood was leaking from many cuts on his face, chest area and arms. Over all he was mess, but nothing was life threatening, but they needed to be treated none the less to prevent infection. Most importantly his chest was rising and falling slowly, signifying that he was still, in fact, in the world of the living.

"See what happens when you run from us girl?" Nakago asked in his usual smirking manner.

Her mind wanted to growl at him, but it found that worrying over Chichiri was worth much more than trying to mentally battle with a seshi she knew was far more powerful that her. Removing the monk's mask she found the area that had been covered was remarkably unscathed.

A firm hand landed on her shoulder. "Now, you will come with me. Unless of course," his smirk grew, "You wish to bring further harm to your so called friend."

This time Keara's mind did not hesitate to growl at the seshi. He already tried to convince her that her friends did not care about her and she had found that he had been most incorrect, but now he had the galls to try the trickery again.

'Get off of me you jerk,' her mind growled as she tried to shrug the hand off, but failed.

"You aren't getting away this time girl," Nakago told her.

'Well I didn't just escape from you to get captured again either,' her mind said in exasperation. She was still frightened, but anger was starting to grow within her as well.

With a silent sigh she grazed her hand over Chichiri's cheek. She didn't want to leave him out in the open with no one else around, or even any of the Seiryuu around, but she did not want to bring harm to him by staying either.

She had never been one to pray to any god, but if ever there was a time to do so this was surely it.

'Help me Suzaku.'

* * *

Don't I have a nasty way of making things seem like they're working and then all hell breaks loose? XD

Will Keara be captured by the Seiryuu again? Or will her prayer be answered? What will become of Chichiri?

Find out in the next update! (I'm hoping that'll be up within the next three weeks)

Please review!

Thanks!


	17. Chapter 17

I don't own FY.

Yey, I'm staying on track. I said would update in three weeks and I have :)

Oh my, this story have 100 reviews O.o I've never had so many. Thank you reviewers:)

Thank you for reviewing:

**Chichiri's Wanderer**** – **Lol. I'm being threatened with a cat. Yey for weird dialogue…where my OC can actually speak XD COOKIES! starts happily munching on them

**Tsukikage – **Lol. You can find out what happens now.

**The Demented Pudding Child**** – **I remember having them in elementary school as well. I saw one of my friends, who is a year younger than me, with one last year and was reminded of them. Lol.

**bant**** – **Thank you :) I seem to be good at making my main characters lives a nightmare XP Ah well, it makes the story more fun to read and write.

**ChirikoFan**** – **Thank you :) Hmm, will they escape? Or will I make matters worse? You'll see by the end of the chapter :)

**Everqueen**** –** Thank you as well. Lol. We'll see what will happen to them in this chapter.

**Sabrina451**** – **Yey, you like my character. I do hope that continues too, a story is no fun when you hate the main character.

**D.D.Z.**** – **What shall I do to the two of them? This chapter will tell… sort of XP

**YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko**** – **Lol. Nakago got a beating XD But will he get one in this chapter?

**Alatril Carnesr**** – **Is she really Mary-Sue-ish? Ah well. So long as people like the story I suppose the slight bit she is like the term is alright. Lol. You could learn gymnastics if you wanted. I loved it when I did it years ago. I only know pieces of sign language myself, but I'd love to learn it one day. I'm pretty good at causing major problems for my characters, but sometimes I chose one way over another just because my idea's flow that way. So we'll see what I did in this chapter by the end. Thanks, I didn't think a fast growing relationship with Chichiri would work given his past and personality.

* * *

_**Chapter 17**_

"Come girl, no more of your foolish games," Nakago smirked. "If you do follow my command you'll have the death of your 'friend' forever on your conscience."

Keara closed her eyes and hugged Chichiri's unconscious form tightly as her mind screamed, 'Suzaku!'

Whether it was a reaction from her fright or because Nakago had finally given up on waiting Keara's mind went blank.

vvvv

Tasuki evaded a lightening assault from Soi with relative ease, sending a fire attack back in response. He growled as it missed its target and raised his tessen into the air again, "Rekka shien." Another jet of flame flew from the metal fan at the Seiryuu seshi.

Soi laughed as she evaded the attack. When her feet were back on the ground she rose her hand to the sky. A stream of lightning streamed from the clouds to greet the extended body part, causing a surge of energy to take shape there. Brining her hand down she sent the energy forward, but the target was not the bandit leader, it was Chiriko.

"Chiriko!" Tasuki yelled.

Wide eyed, the child was rooted to his spot. He only managed to evade the assault because Mitsukake threw them both the ground, causing small jolts of electricity to run through his own body, but it did little more than cause sharp prickles on his skin.

"Mitsukake," Chiriko gasped as he came to sit on his knees, "Are you alright?"

The healer nodded, "I'm alright. Are you?"

Nodding the child said, "Yes, thank you." The only response he received in turn was a nod as the older man got to his feet.

Tasuki growled at the opposing seshi he raised his tessen once again, "Reika shi-"

A sudden explosion from somewhere behind them caught everyone's attention. Turning in the direction of it they saw dust rising high into the air, it was as if a dust storm had suddenly appeared and caused a huge updraft.

"Isn't that the direction Chichiri and Keara went in?" Chiriko asked in worry.

"Nakago," Soi gasped and took off, forgetting that she had been present for a reason.

"Nakago!" Tasuki yelled, "What the 'ell is he doin' here!"

"Let's go," Mitsukake said with haste as he ran after Soi, knowing she was heading to the same place they wanted to.

What was found upon arrival was something truly amazing, yet extremely confusing. Where there had once been trees was a moderate sized clearing, yet no tree's lay on their sides as they should have been if they had been knocked over to created the area. It was almost as if the trees ceased to exist all together.

"What trickery is this?" Mitsukake found himself asking. None of it made any sense. Things did not just disappear, especially large trees.

Nakago lay on the other end of the clearing, resting on his front. A large indentation was in the trunk of the tree at his feet having likely been created when he smashed. His armor was damaged from the impact and parts of his blond hair had a reddish tinge to them. Not far away from him lay Suboshi on his back, his deadly weapon broken beside him, blood leaking from between his lips. The boy looked in better condition than the general, but not by much.

Standing in the middle of the newly made clearing was Keara. Her gaze was turned upwards, towards the sun, whose rays flickered through the cloud that hid it to play upon her face. Her short brown hair lay free of its clip and danced in a breeze that did not feel to be present.

"There's Keara," Tasuki said with a pleased look before moving towards her, paying no heed at all to her odd behavior.

"Look, it's Chichiri," Chiriko pointed out the monk. He still lay unconscious where he had been thrown by Nakago's power.

Mitsukake took a look at Keara and judged that she was alright before quickly making off towards the fallen monk. Amazingly his condition turned out to be no worse than it had been before the explosion, not that the three conscious Suzaku seshi's would have known that.

Chiriko gasped as the monk's current state, "Will he be alright?"

"Do not worry Chiriko, he will be fine," Mitsukake told the child as he removed the torn mask from the unconscious mans face. "It doesn't seem that anything is too substantial." He quickly looked him over, "A few broken ribs, many cuts and bruises. He is fortunate that this is all he received."

"But what did this to him?" the child asked. "Was it the explosion or the Seiryuu seshi's?"

Mitsukake shook his head, "I'm not sure." He placed his hand over the monk's chest. Not a second later did a soft yellow light begin to emerge from the character upon his palm. Before their eyes Chichiri's wounds began to heal. Within moments the process was finished and he looked as if he had never been dealt the injuries in the first place.

A yelp from Tasuki brought their attention to him. Keara had apparently collapsed, falling into the bandit leader, startling him greatly. One way for another the bandit had remained on his feet and had kept a firm grasp on the girl all the while.

"Bring her over here Tasuki," Mitsukake called.

Picking the now unconscious girl up Tasuki carefully carried her over to the healer. Laying her down on the grass he frowned, "What was that about?"

"What happened?" Chiriko asked.

"I just asked if she was alrigh' and touched her arm an' she fell on me," Tasuki told him. "One minute she was awake the next she passed out."

Mitsukake nodded and looked over the girl properly now that she was in front of him. Frowning he turned her face from one side to the other, as if looking for something. "Amazingly she seems perfectly alright."

Tasuki sighed in relief before he suddenly stood and took out his fan, causing the two other seshi's to look up at him. "Soi," he growled. Sure enough the lightning Seiryuu was in the clearing and was fretting over the unconscious general's condition.

"Let her be Tasuki," Mitsukake said calmly, "We have our own to worry about." The bandit leader growled, but put his tessen away, knowing his friend was right. "Why don't you take Chichiri Tasuki. Chiriko can you grab his staff?"

The child nodded and quickly ran to retrieve the staff from where it had been thrown. Mitsukake gently picked up Keara, her hands now resting upon her stomach, an ever calm expression on her face. Tasuki placed Chichiri over his shoulder before standing upright once again.

With everything set they made off at a hastened pace, knowing that they should put as much distance between them and the clearing before the Seiryuu awoke. The last thing they needed was another battle to break out while they had to watch over two unconscious people.

* * *

Well that was very strange to say the least. What happened? 

Find out next time.

Please review!

Thanks!


	18. Chapter 18

I don't own FY

Thanks for reviewing:

**bant**– you got ahead of me XP The whole ordeal was a shock and Chiriko hadn't much time to think at that moment. Hope that explains why that didn't happen in the last chapter.

**ChirikoFan**** –** that's a good question and the answer will remain a secret XD Thank you. And I'll do my best to keep you and everyone else interested.

**Chichiri's Wanderer**– Lol XD But the question is, did Suzaku come down? I will not say –laughs evily- Ah well. Suspense is fun XD

**Crimson Firefox **– Sorry. College is a bummer with work and I drew a lot more than I wrote my stories for a while, but I'm still keeping up with the promise of an update every three weeks at the latest. I never did baby sitting. Lol. Hope they don't drive you nuts too much.

**Everqueen**– Yey for kicking Nakago's butt! XD hmm, what did she do? A question that'll be answered in due time.

**Lucia – **We'll see if I make her talk or not. Lol. I have thought of such of it, but whether I'll actually write it is or not I'm not sure. –shrugs- we'll see.

**Tsukikage **– Yey for confusion. Lol. I knew it would make people wonder what the heck went on, but that's alright as long as it explained before the end of the story XD

**Alatril Carnesr**** – **No kidnapping… for now XD I don't know if I'll do it again, we'll see though. Thank you. I'm working on getting better at that, especially for my original story. Good questions, but I shall not answer them, coming chapters will :) (yep, I used to read some die hard Mary-sue's when I was obsessed with LOTR, and they do tend to make the reader want to roll their eyes at it XP)

**D.D.Z.**– Yep, I won't tell you because I don't want to spoil anything. Eveyone's going to have to wait for it to be metioned in the story –is feeling very evil- XD

**Dimonah Tralon**– Thank you! It's been very interesting and fun to write this kind of story and I'm glad so many people are enjoying it.

**YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko**– Lol. You just need practice at it for it to not hurt your throat XD Yes, having Nakago hurt was fun –laughs evily- XD But does Keara have super powers?

**Where I Walk Alone**** – **You read all the chapters in one day? O.o Wow, that's a lot to read. Thank you! I'm glad you're really enjoying it :) I hope it continues to make you feel that way.

**yumichan808**– Lol. My lovable question to make people second guess / ponder 'Did she summon Suzaku?' I will not say anything, as the story will speak for itself when the time come –is feeling extremely evil by this point- XD I love making suspense!

* * *

**Chapter 18**

The Suzaku seshi had been walking for several hours and had yet to stop, as they did not want the Seiryuu seshi to attack them when they did. Whether they were back on their feet and moving none of the seshi knew, but they weren't going to take the chance with two of their friends unconscious.

Tasuki repositioned the monk upon his shoulder. The weight of the older man was beginning to take its effects upon him and it was anything but comfortable. With a shake of his head he kept his pace with the others. He was the leader of the Mt. Leikaku bandits, he couldn't show such weakness.

Looking over to Keara the bandit leader could not help but wonder what had caused her to collapse, much less what could have caused her to have looked as she had it the clearing- something he found that his mind had not thought much on back in the clearing. Whatever the reason they would not know until she, or perhaps Chichiri, awakened.

"Do you think Suzaku had anything to do with what happened back there?" Chiriko asked out of the blue.

"It is a strong possibility," Mitsukake answered, looking down at the girl sleeping in his arms.

Chiriko noted this action, "I was thinking Keara might have some connection with it all."

"What'cha mean?" Tasuki asked.

"Well," the child looked for the words he needed, "She was the only one unharmed and standing when we got there."

"So you're saying she 'urt Chichiri?" Tasuki asked with a quirked brow, not believing the girl capable of doing such a thing.

"No, of course not," Chiriko responded quickly, "That I think has something to do with Nakago's presence. As you know Nakago can break through many of his spells with relative ease." He took a breath, "What I meant was perhaps Suzaku came to help her. She was, after all, summoned here by him."

There was silence for a moment as the other two seshi's thought it over. "That is a valid hypothesis," Mitsukake eventually said. "It does sound strange however, as she is not the priestess."

"That is troubling me as well," Chiriko confessed, "But what other explanation do we have at the moment."

"None," Tasuki half growled.

vvvv

Soi sighed heavily and sat down in a chair next to Nakago's bed. The general had yet to awaken and Suboshi was no different. Everything had been so well planned out, down to the smallest detail, yet, somehow, the entire thing had turned out useless because of some mysterious occurrence.

"All centering around that brat no doubt," she growled.

Yui took that moment to walk in, but somehow she had not heard the female seshi's words. In her hands sat the small toy Keara had been playing with before the ordeal had begun, a small smile on her face. "You know I haven't played with one of these for a long time. They're quite entertaining."

Looking up the Seiryuu no miko realized she was half being listened to. With a shrug she pushed a button and placed the gadget in her skirt pocket. "How is he?"

"Still unconscious," Soi answered simply.

"I can see that," Yui frowned, walking over to the bed side. "Has his wound stopped bleeding?"

Soi nodded, "Yes."

"Good," relief was easily detected in the young teen's voice. "Did Keara really do this to him and Suboshi?"

"She had to of," the seshi answered in annoyance, though her anger was not directed at her miko, "She was the only one standing when it was all over."

Yui nodded, "I see. I wouldn't have thought that girl was capable of doing something like this." An angered look came across her face, "And Miaka has her on her side."

"That will change soon enough," Soi voice matched the look on her miko's face.

She would make sure the girl paid for hurting her beloved Nakago, even if it meant killing her.

vvvv

Night had fallen upon the lands. The moon was large and red as it made its accent on the opposite end of where the sun had disappeared not long ago. In Keara's world the spectacle would have called beautiful, but nothing extraordinary. Here, however, the moons appearance as it was would have been called mystical and having to do with the will of the gods, and the idea was held by the three conscious seshi's sitting around their campfire.

"Suzaku must be trying to tell us something," Chiriko said as he looked at the moon.

"About the today's events perhaps," Mitsukake said as he threw a stick into the fire.

Tasuki stretched out his limbs the best he could from where he sat, "Whatever it is it doesn' matter since we can't understand it." Looking to his left he saw his friends who had yet to awaken. "How long you think they'll be out Mitsukake?"

"I'm afraid I cannot say," the healer replied. "They're spirits need to heal on their own."

vvvv

The moon was just past its highest point in the sky, marking the time to be after midnight. All the Suzaku seshi's were comfortably asleep now, knowing that the Seiryuu were not on their back and would not strike for some time to come.

An overall peace was in the air. The fire was burning low and every now and then a small crackling as heard from within it. Everyone was sleeping soundly, including Tasuki, who was sprawled out on his mat muttering something incomprehensible in his sleep from time to time.

Had anyone been awake at the time they would have been startled by a sudden movement caused by Keara bolting upright. She looked fazed, but otherwise she seemed the same as she normally did. Looking around she tried to register where she was, but found the feat impossible. She knew, however, that she was safe when she saw her friends soundly asleep.

Sighing she looked to Chichiri, whom was resting at her side. He had been hurt protecting her, something that played on her mind as she gazed down at him.

Her expression turned from sorrow to amazement as she realized all of his wounds were healed. It took a moment for her mind to register how such a thing was possible, but when she remembered Mitsukake she mentally smacked herself. How she had forgotten about him she did not know, especially since she had seen him sleeping only a moment before.

He seemed at ease as he rested. For that she was grateful, the last thing she wanted was for him to be having nightmares after the ordeal he went through on her behalf. She did not know how she would ever repay him, but she would find someway.

Hesitantly she reached out her hand and let it hover over Chichiri's face for a moment as she contemplated something. Taking in a new breath she gingerly let her index and middle fingers run across the portion of the scar beneath his left eye.

"Oy- tha's mine," Tasuki said rather loudly, "Give it back."

Retracting her hand Keara looked over to the bandit, her face flushed with embarrassment as she thought she had been caught. Looking over to the red head it was revealed that he was having the argument in his sleep. Apparently whoever it was was annoying the poor guy.

"Kouji," Tauski half muttered, half growled before falling silent once more.

Laughing in her usual silent manner Keara shook her head, 'Tasuki.' Turning her attention back to Chichiri she smiled, 'sleep well,' she thought with a smile before laying back down.

If she had been paying attention she would have realized that the monk's breathing wasn't slow enough for him to be asleep.

* * *

Lol. Tasuki's yelling in his sleep XD But wait! Soi threatened to kill Keara! And what's this? Was Chichiri really asleep?

Please review.

Thank you!


	19. Chapter 19

I don't own FY

OMG, sorry for the late update. Even though it is in the 3 weeks I usually promise I had meant to type this chapter up and post it last week. Unfortunately though my college was evacuated due to hurricane Wilma (don't worry, it turns out my area got little to nothing from it because it turned a lot and hit southern Florida) and the weekend I meant to use to write it was spent elsewhere. Sorry again!

Thanks for reviewing :

**Akari kitsune**– Nope. Remember Mitsukake took it off when he went to heal him. Lol. When you're in a panic you tend to over look things you wouldn't normally. Lol. It's alright.

**Where I Walk Alone **– Lol. Thanks and wait no longer :)

**ChirikoFan**– Lol. I am the queen of cliffies… sort of. Lol. We shall now see.

**Crimson Firefox** – Well that's cool to hear :D Thanks :)

**Everqueen**– Ya, she got annoying for the longest time, then I just felt bad for her by the end. Glad you liked that :)

**Dimonah Tralon**– I'm glad so many people liked that part :) I had hoped that really fit his character. Lol.

**KamiKaze no Kage**– yey, I'm not going to be threatened any more :D I'm sorry about that. I really meant to update last week. But of course, the main character always has to be in trouble XD

**evilnaraku**** –** I will, I promise :)

**bant**** – **Thank you and sorry for the delay once again.

**Tsukikage **– Hmm, was he? Lol. We'll see the deal with the events in the clearing soon enough :)

**Alatril Carnesr**– Sorry for the delay. I hope you like this chapter :)

**YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko**– Lol. Our favorite monk has more to him than it appears, I had to show that somehow :D

**Gammergirl**– Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it :) Thanks again. With Chichiri romance needs to go a bit slow.

**Chichiri's Wanderer**– Lol XD That'll be revealed in due time. It's no good to reveal something too early into the game.

**Ayshia**** – **Thank you :) Sorry for the delay, but it was beyond my power, most unfortunately.

**Chichirifan **– Thank you :) Meep cowers Lol. Hmm, what will he do? We shall see. Lol.

**Ayriel**– Thank you. I'm glad you like it eats cookie happily Yey :)

**Lady of the Cats**- pouts I guess there's no cookie for me since I'm updating later than intended.

**BlAcKeSt StAr CaTcHeR**– Lol. It's alright. I hope you'll be able to read all that's here soon. And thank you :)

* * *

**Chapter 19**

Morning came more quickly than anyone would have wanted, especially for Keara who wanted nothing more than to curl up and fall back asleep. Her mind was exhausted, but for what reasons she was not entirely sure.

"Good morning Keara," Chiriko smiled happily as he saw her sit up and yawn.

Mitsukake came to kneel before her, "How are you feeling?"

Keara shrugged and yawned again, being sure to cover her mouth as she did so. The healer gave her a smile and patted her on the shoulder, "If you need anything just let us know."

She nodded and paid half attention when he got up and left. Rubbing her eyes in an attempt to rid herself of her sleepiness she wondered what had drained her so. She had been tired when she had awakened in the middle of the night, but her worry for Chichiri had kept her from realizing how exhausted she truly was.

Thinking of the monk she turned her gaze to where he lay next to her. He seemed to sleep as easily as when she had first awakened, which hopefully meant he would not be as exhausted as her when he awakened.

Tasuki walked into the area and slumped down on the ground with four hares in his arms. Mitsukake sat down next to him to help skin the dead animals and prepare them for cooking.

Yawning once more Keara wondered what she should do. She could just sit there and be her tired self, but she felt she should help out somehow. Then again she did not want to leave Chichiri's side until he awakened.

"Keara," Chiriko called from not far away, "Can I ask you something?"

Looking over to the boy she nodded. When she made to get up he shook his head, "You can stay there. No need to use any unneeded energy." He took in a breath and seemed to contemplate how to ask what he wanted. "Well, all of us were wondering what happened back in the clearing – with Nakago and Suboshi I mean."

The bandit leader and the healer looked up from their work to gaze at her questioningly. They had desired to know the answer since the event had occurred the day before and now hoped they would get just that.

Confused Keara gave them all a strange look. Tasuki frowned, "We came inta the clearin' and the Seiryuu were on the ground unconscious."

"You were the only one standing," Mitsukake added. "And you were unharmed."

'Unharmed? And the Seiryuu were beaten? How?' Her mind was confused. She couldn't recall any of that. In fact all she could remember was praying for Suzaku's help before everything went black. She had assumed she had been kidnapped again when she woke up in the middle of the night, but had been overly pleased to find out she was as safe as can be.

"Don't you remember anything?" Chiriko asked.

Keara nodded. She remembered something's, but they apparently weren't anything they wanted to know. Taking a in a deep breath she found her bag and took her sketchbook out. She might as well tell them what she did know and let them try to piece together what she didn't.

'This'll be bothering me for some time to come,' she thought as she wrote out what was needed. She wished she could remember what had happened, especially since she had been told she was unharmed and standing when they found her, which meant Nakago had been stopped from doing anything her or Chichiri. That knowledge left a question in her mind, how and why had her mind gone blank after praying to Suzaku?

Ripping the paper out of the book she handed it to Chiriko, who had gotten up and come over to her when she had started writing. The boy read over the words and frowned before bring it over to his two other friends, who also frowned after reading it.

"This is strange," Mitsukake commented.

"I wonder if it means Suzaku intervened, using Keara as a medium," Chiriko thought aloud. "But it's still strange because she isn't the Suzaku no miko."

Keara frowned. 'A medium?'

A movement next to her broke her train of thought. Looking over she realized that Chichiri was rubbing his eyes. Smiling to herself she waited until he opened his good eye to wave at him.

It took a moment for the monk to focus in on her but when he did he smiled. Sitting up he inspected himself for injuries, only to find none. "Thanks Mitsukake."

Looking over to him the healer nodded wordlessly before going back to preparing the hares for cooking. His mind was kept on the note Keara had written, but no matter how much he thought there seemed to be no logical answer for what had occurred.

"Looks like we made it out alright," Chichiri smiled.

Keara nodded happily and latched her arms around him neck to give him a tight hug. The sudden movement had shocked the monk, but he was quick to recover and chuckled as he returned the embrace.

Patting her on the back Chichiri pulled away. He sighed heavily and closed his eye, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from the Seiryuu like I promised." He was sure that beyond her kind exterior was an angry woman.

A soft pat on the top of his head brought him out of this saddened state. Opening his eye he found Keara smiling softly at him, not even a trace of distrust upon her features. 'Like you said, we made it out alright,' she mouthed slowly to ensure he understood every word.

Chichiri smiled in return, glad that she was not aggravated with him. "Next time I'll do better, I swear."

Holding up one finger she received a questioning look from the man before her. 'If you promise not to get yourself killed or badly injured,' she mouthed with a smile.

"Deal," Chichiri said as he put out his hand to complete it.

Keara placed her hand in his and they shook on the agreement now in place. She made to pull her hand away, but found it still locked in Chichiri's. Before she could raise a brow she saw him lift her hand to his lips. A warm and soft sensation greeted it and the feeling quickly spread throughout her entire body. Her cheeks became warm, making her more than aware that she was blushing madly.

Finally letting go of her hand Chichiri smiled softly at her, a faint red tinge playing on his own cheeks. "Payback for last night," he told her softly.

If it were possible Keara blushed even harder.

* * *

Awwww! Lol. That was cute. We know Soi wants payback too, what'll she do?

Please review!

Thanks!

Happy Halloween


	20. Chapter 20

I don't own FY

Woot. I'm a week earlier than normal :)

Thank you for reviewing:

**ChirikoFan**– Lol. It was cute, but I don't think it was a lot of fluff. Then again I what do I know XP Yey for those endings. Lol

**Everqueen**– Thank you. Lol. Chichiri's getting sly XD

**Dimonah Tralon**– I'm glad everyone seemed to like that part :) Thank you and I'll do my best to!

**Tsukikage **– Lol. Yep, he was awake and wreaked his revenge upon an unsuspecting mute. How mean! Lol. Just kidding of course. Thank you and I'll do my best.

**Chichirifan **– Thank you. Lol. You do sound somewhat like him. Ack. Don't die! T.T

**D.D.Z.**– Aw. I hadn't thought I'd get so many gleeful responses from that. Lol. But I'm glad I did. Thank you :)

**evilnaraku**– Lol. Thank you. Not all those who wreak revenge do it in a bad way :)

**Lady of the Cats**- cries I get no cookie. Lol. Hmm, what will Soi do?

**YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko**– YEY CANDY munches happily Lol. Chichiri used his charm. Hope that continues, ne?

**Akari kitsune**– Thank you. Well, Soi loves Nakago and our poor Keara hurt him. Lol.

**Where I Walk Alone **– Hehe, he's getting sly isn't he. Yey more candy is about to be a very hyper authoress

**KamiKaze no Kage**– Perhaps… Ok, there will be. Lol. It is a romance story after all. Lol. Thank you!

**Ayshia**– Hi. Lol. Aw. They are, aren't they. Thanks and I'll do my best. anime fall Two reviews, hm, not used to that. Lol. Thanks for a double review. And sorry. I try to update somewhere within 3 weeks of the last update, usually on weekends.

**Chichiri's Wanderer**– Puppy love? Eh? Where's the puppy? looks around Those two are coming back, don't worry. Lol. Ya, I did lose them. I kinda stuck them under a ray like in 'Hunney I Shrunk the Kid' and, hehe, I have to search for them…

**Crimson Firefox **– Lol. Thank you. I'm glad you like it :)

**plutobaby494**– eh? Really. Or is it that is seemed to cut off. Because Chichiri quickly gets to his feet without thinking about the position. Hmm. If it wasn't recheck the chapter because it's fully up (just checked). Aw, Thank you :) I was a gymnast from 2nd grade up until the beginning of 7th grade. Lol. So ya, it was some time ago (being a freshman in college now), but I still enjoy watching it on TV when I know it's on.

**fushigiyugigirl3**– Thank you. I hope you like this chapter as much as the others :)

* * *

_**Chapter 20**_

Nakago came back to the conscious realm before nightfall the same day. His head was soar due to his injury there, something he had yet to realize, and a headache only added to his discomfort. Placing a hand to his forehead he realized bandages covered it as they wrapped around his head completely.

Curiously he wondered what they were there for. He remembered being thrown back by that dratted girl who hung around with the Suzaku, only to hit something rather hard. The way it happened had been so strange, it had been unlike anything he had ever before seen. He doubted he could begin to explain it to anyone, let alone himself.

"About time you woke up," Soi's ever clear voice came to meet his ears. "You've been out for a full day now."

This news, for whatever reason, did not faze the Seiryuu general in the slightest. In fact he had thought he had been out longer.

Shaking his head slightly he sat up, causing the covers to slide down his bare chest and rest at his waist. After looking over his arms and torso he was slightly amazed to realize that the only damage on him was his head.

"You had a bad head wound," Soi told him as she came to sit at the edge of his bed. "I found you lying on the ground in the clearing yesterday. That brat was the only one standing."

This was yet another thing that did not surprise the blond man. Not with the events that had played out the other day. He deeply wanted to know what had happened, but at the same time he wondered if he really wanted to allow such events to play out on him again to find out.

vvv

Keara sat by the fire, her knees up to her chest and arms wrapped around them, entranced by the flames as they danced and hopped about merrily. Dusk was upon them, but it did not matter to the small band of friends.

They had traveled little in the day to ensure that Keara would not wear herself out, having not been healed and no one knowing what had happened to her during the battle the day before.

This detailed bothered the girl. She did not like the feeling of being a nuisance to the group. She knew they had to catch up to their miko and because of their worry over her they were taking a slower pace then was necessary. It was true she was tired, but that was nothing to cause concern over, it just meant she would go to sleep earlier than normal and would sleep well. She could not get her friends to understand that however and was forced to go at the pace they chose, even though she had disliked it.

A gentle hand on her head brought her attention from the fire to the culprit of her distraction. She found Chichiri standing there, smiling down at her through his mask. Tiredly she smiled back up at him before she slid her arms up to rest atop her knees and placed her chin upon them.

"You should at least stay up to eat supper," he told her as he sat himself down next to her.

A slight nod told him that she had heard him, but he found himself wondering how well. Keara had looked exhausted for most of the day, but had had more than enough energy, it seemed, to walk around and even argue, through writing and body language, that they could continue traveling.

"You've worn yourself out," he found himself commenting aloud.

The only response he got was three letters spelled out in the language she spoke with her hands, whatever it was called. He gazed curiously at her wondering if she would somehow tell him what the gestures had meant. Finally he decided to ask, as it seemed she was not about to elaborate, "And what exactly was that supposed to mean?"

When she made no move to explain or any movement at all he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. He found himself blushing as she gently came to lean against him, one hand falling from her knee to land on his leg. She had fallen asleep before he had asked the question and her body was apparently too exhausted to take heed of the noise his voice had made.

Shaking his head he found that he was once again glad that his mask was in place. His three seshi friends all sat around the fire as well, waiting for the fish to cook, and had smiles upon their faces upon seeing the spectacle. A blush seen upon his face would have made those looks change into grins rather quickly.

For several moments he was not sure of what to do. He did not want to move her in fear of waking her from her peaceful slumber, but he knew he could not just have her rest upon him as she was.

Sighing he managed to gently lye her on the ground without awakening her, though it had taken several moments to do so. Taking off his kesa he placed it over her and silently bade her goodnight.

vvv

"What do you plan to do Nakago?" Yui found herself asking the general that same night. She had heard little of the previous day's events, but she knew the man would not let an injury come to him without some sort of revenge being dealt.

The general did not answer right away, but when he did answer it was a typical response, "Plans are still as they were - capture the Suzaku no miko and that girl from the same world."

"Her name's Keara," Yui corrected. "Which would be better to go after now?" Detailed events were not needed for the miko to know that going after Keara might not be the wisest of choices at the moment.

"Both," Nakago smirked. "The Suzaku no miko must be wondering what has happened to us and we cannot either band become too relaxed now can we?"

Yui bit her lip, "I guess."

vvv

The next day came quickly enough. Everyone was well rested; even Keara was back to her normal self, or as normal as one can be in the morning.

Sitting up she rubbed the sleep from her eyes before stretching out her limbs. Upon opening her eyes she realized that Chichiri's kesa had somehow found its way on her again. The matter of how it had gotten there confused her for a few moments, until she remembered falling asleep with Chichiri next to her.

'How many times have I had this now?' she asked herself, but was unable to find an answer.

She found Chichiri sitting with Chiriko. They appeared to be looking over a map, probably discussing the fastest and safest way to Sairou, a city with in Byakko's territory and the location of the final shinzaho.

She found her mind lingering back to the day before when Chichiri had kissed her hand. The mere thought causing a faint blush to creep onto her cheeks. It seemed that a little game had picked up between them. She would do something and he would reply to it, even if it was several hours later. With a smile she picking herself up and carried the cape over, why stop the game when it had only just begun.

Thinking herself clever Keara quietly moved toward Chichiri's back. With a grin she dropped the kesa over his head, blocking out his sight entirely. The moment it was over his head the monks form changed into his 'super deformed' self and started thrashing about underneath the kesa as he mimicked being frightened. "Who turned out the lights?" he cried, sounding much like a child afraid of the dark, which followed by a crying like noise as he continued to struggle with the cape.

Smiling to herself and shaking her head she took the material off of him. It was barely over his head when she felt something latch to her leg. "Save me!" was the cry heard not a second later, "The dark is scarwy."

Keara laughed silently at the monks childish voice. Brining one hand to the side of her face she left her thumb and pinky (which was closest to the viewer) pointing towards the sky while the others curled towards her palm, but did not touch. From there she twisted her wrist so what was seen of her palm was shown to the one she was speaking to and untwisted it back to the original position. This was done twice. Right after that she brought her hand to the side of her forehead at a slight angle so her palm could be seen, her thumb touching her index finger, before bringing her hand out slighting and pulling her thumb away from her other finger.

Detaching himself from her leg Chichiri changed back into his normal form. "What does that mean?"

Unlike the night before Keara did elaborate on the meaning. She sat down next to the monk and, with the use of a stray twig, wrote out 'silly boy.'

Chichiri smiled and mimicked the hand movements she had done before. A nod from Keara told him he had done it right. "How would you say 'girl'?" he found himself asking.

Circling her fingers to her palm she left her thumb sticking up. Her thumb was then brought to the top of her jaw, where upon she slid it down to her chin.

"Silly girl," Chichiri said as he made the gestures for both words.

Keara smiled and shrugged, as if to say 'Ya, I guess.'

"So, um," Chichiri seemed to be looking for the right words. "How do you say 'like' or 'love' - as in I love fishing," the latter part seemed hastened for some reason.

vvvv

"I'll go after the brat," Soi told Nakago flatly upon hearing plan. "I have a score to settle with her anyway."

The Seiryuu general did not argue, "As you wish. Suboshi will be accompanying you however." He left no room for argument from either seshi. He knew that in order to capture the girl more than one person had to be involved and with himself going after Tamahome and the Suzaku no miko, taking Tomo with him, Suboshi was the only other seshi left.

"Do not fail me," was the last thing Nakago uttered before turning his back and walking away.

* * *

Uh oh. A plan has been set in motion by the Seiryuu and Soi is definitely going after Keara now. Yikes! And, hey, what exactly did Chichiri mean by asking Keara that? Hmm. 

Please Review

Thanks!


	21. Chapter 21

I don't own FY

Sorry for the LONG delay guys! I meant to work on this over Thanksgiving, but I hadn't the time because I was spending the time with family. After that I completely lost track of time because I had only two weeks left of school and teachers were throwing things at us to do and I accidentally discovered a program on my computer to make music video's and got stuck on that for two or three days (not a good thing since I had a big test to study for). But I am now home for winter break and I plan to try and update once a week.

For those of you who also read _Cry of the Gods_ I will be updating that within the next few days.

Thanks for reviewing:

**Ayriel**– Lol. Yey romance! We'll see what's up with her and Tamahome soon enough, promise. I haven't forgotten about them…yet. Lol

**Where I Walk Alone**– hehe, I'm so evil leaving everyone to guess at that -grins-

**plutobaby494**– Sorry for the delay! Hmm, is there more cuteness in this chapter?

**Everqueen**– blondie is evil -twitch twitch- Lol. Thank you, that's good to hear.

**Tsukikage **– Lol. Yes, I am the evil cliffhanger person of DOOM! …sorry, I just had a big thing of hot coco and am now hyper. Fweeee. Lol. Thank you and sorry for the delay.

**Chichirifan **– Gah! -hides as questions are shot out at her- So-many-question-must-not-answer. Lol. You'll see soon enough :) Lol. Tasuki needs a bar of soap for his mouth, ne? -chases after the bandit with soap in hand-

**D.D.Z.**– Sorry for the grammar errors. I try to catch them when I reread my stories, but, unfortunately, I can't catch them all. Sorry for the delay!

**Gammergirl**– Ya, courage has one thing about it, you'll see the other reason as he muses in the beginning of the chapter. Lol. The sign language is fun, especially since I'm teaching myself as I write this story (I found a good site that teaches countless different phrases). Sorry for the delay!

**Ayshia**– Thank you :) Sorry for the delay! I hope you like this chapter too.

**evilnaraku**– Lol. We shall see. I have certain events all planed out right now :D

**ChirikoFan**– Hm, I wonder. Lol. Sorry for the delay!

**KamiKaze no Kage**– Yes, that is her plan anyway. Will I allow it? Hmm… I can be rather evil with plots twists, I'll have you know. Lol. Sign language is fun! Sorry for the delay!

**bant**– Explosions are fun. Woot! Lol. Sorry for the delay!

**Akari kitsune**– Hmm… I could, but likewise, it may not. Lol.

**YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko**– Lol. Ya, Chichiri is so cute in his chibi form. Sorry for the delay.

**Chichiri's Wanderer**– We shall see in due time. Lol. Is that so. Hmmm. Lol. Sorry for the delay!

* * *

**Chapter 21**

Chichiri sighed to himself as he found he was once again watching Keara's back as they traveled. The group had set off some hours ago on the trail he and Chiriko had chosen. It would take them several days to get to Sairou, but they hoped they would meet with their miko and Tamahome along the way.

Without meaning to he found his mind wandering back to the events of that morning…

"_So, um," Chichiri seemed to be looking for the right words. "How do you say 'like' or 'love' - as in I love fishing," the latter part seemed hastened for some reason._

_Keara gave him an amused look as she raised a brow. Whether it was part of the little game that had grown between them or an honest question, perhaps with a hidden message, she was not quite sure, but she would play along._

_With a smile she brought her left hand flat upon her chest. From there she took her hand away and brought her thumb and middle fingers together. Following that she brought her forearm up, fist loosely clenched, her right hand was also in a loose fist, but was about six inches from her other arm. In a flowing motion her left forearm went back and forth, just as a fishing pole would when fighting with a fish, and her other hand made a circular motion. Even though Chichiri did not know what a reel was he did understand the general motion._

_On the ground she wrote, 'I like fishing.'_

Chichiri half smiled at the memory, half frowned. He was not sure what to make of it. Had she known what he had meant, something that caused the monk to subconsciously blush, but wanted to tease him or had she simply answered his question as he had asked it?

With a sigh he questioned why he had even asked the question to begin with. He knew he felt something toward the girl, but that something could be anything. For all he knew he could just care for her as he cared for his miko, yet something nagged at him upon thinking this. He was concerned for her safety just as much as he was for Miaka's, he was willing to endanger his life just the same as well. So, what was the difference? He knew for a fact that he did not love Miaka. So if nothing was different that must mean -

'You are bound by destiny to protect the miko, but you have no such bond with Keara,' a voice in his mind suddenly said, stopping his train of thought before it had reached an end. 'You voluntarily protect and care for her.' He knew who the voice was, it was himself, or more to the point, a part of him he had locked away after losing Kouran and Hikou years ago. But why was it free now?

Shaking his head he pushed the former him further back into his mind. This was no time for that part of himself to emerge, nor would it ever be. He was different now and even though his past still deeply troubled him he would not revert back to how he was before the tragedy, it just did not seem right to those he had lost.

He was brought from his thoughts as Keara fell in step with him. Looking over at her he saw a motion in her silent language. She had her left hand at chest level, palm up. Her left hand then came in at and angle to fall in it side ways then went strait up so it made her appear as if she were half praying.

Before he could ask her what it meant she was taking out her sketch book and a pencil. She wrote out 'are you alright?' and handed it to him.

Nodding he handed the paper back to her, "Just thinking."

She raised a brow, a simple gesture that let him know she wanted him to elaborate. "My past."

A nod was all Keara gave. She understood now why he had looked depressed and would not press him any further.

vvv

The group did not stop their journey until dusk had begun setting in that day. As to be expected everyone was exhausted by that time, but there was still one chore left to be dealt with - preparing supper. It was a task Chichiri took upon himself to complete, as there was a stream not far from the camp sight.

Keara watched the monk go, frowning to herself. He had been relatively quiet throughout the day and judging on the conversations she had with him earlier she bet it was due to his past once again creeping upon his mind.

Getting up she waved to the others to let them know she was leaving and headed off after the monk. Even if she really couldn't talk to him she hoped that offering some company would lighten his spirits.

Finding Chichiri did not prove difficult in the least. In fact she spotted him at nearly the same moment she came in sight of the stream. He sat with his back to her, fishing pole in hand and was waiting patiently for a bite, just as any fisherman would.

Chichiri easily sensed another presence, but knew it was not one to worry about. Looking back his thought was confirmed and he smiled softly, "Hello Keara no da."

The girl smiled and took a seat on the ground next to him. It had been some time since she had last heard his childish 'no da' and she hoped that with its return he too would revert back into the way she had come to know him by.

Silence was all that was passed between them for some time, neither knowing how to react to the other. A thought eventually came to Chichiri's mind, one that had been nagging at him for a while now. Placing a hand into his pocket he took out a slip of paper and handed it to her. She gave him a curious look as she took it from him.

"Do you remember that poem?"

Opening it up Keara had to nod upon scanning the first line. She had written it for him only a few nights ago, though it felt even longer because of all the events that had been playing out before them.

"How did you…" he paused, feeling as if he had started in a way he had not meant to. Sighing he took off his mask and looked strait at her, "You sound as if you have great pains of your own, ones that trouble you as much as my own do to me."

Taking in a deep breath she nodded. She had expected the subject to be brought up eventually, but, much like he must have felt, had wished it would not have. Taking out her sketch book she searched for a drawing she had done in the past and handed it to him.

At first Chichiri was marveled at her drawing ability, but quickly came to realize the message she meant to convey by showing it to him. In each corner of the paper were drawings, all of which had something to do with one another and led to the picture in the middle.

In the top left corner were two people, one, Chichiri knew right away, was Keara and the other was a boy he had never before seen. They were hugging, their smiling faces pressed together by their cheeks, a small heart above their heads. The next image, in the top right corner, was of two girls, one was Keara and the other he did not know. The two of them seemed to playing - the other girl had Keara in a head lock and both were laughing happily. The image diagonal from it had the boy from before sitting in a strange setting (a cars interior) his head bowed low and what he assumed to be blood covering most of his face. In the last corner was the girl from before only she was sprawled out on a couch, one hand dangling off of it and someone standing behind her. A glass lay not far away, some kind of a liquid lay on the floor with a skull and cross bones within it.

Lastly, if the images had not already ripped at his heart strings, in the center, surrounded by darkness, was a girl hiding her face in her knees, her shoulders apparently shaking. A small block came off of it to reveal a face, Keara's face, distorted by tears and pain beyond words.

Chichiri closed his eye and shut the book painfully. He now understood. They had their vast differences, yet had great similarities when in came to the pains of the heart.

Looking over to her he found she had lost her gaze within the terrain just beyond the stream. Her face was calm and at first glance if would have seemed as if she were lost in a simple, carefree dream, but her eyes gave away the pain she felt inside.

Keara's mind was in fact gone from her body as she unwillingly found herself thinking of the two people she had lost. In truth they had never really left her mind, but with so much going on since her arrival in this world they had been pushed to the back of her mind. She could remember all the wonderful times she had with the two of them before their demise, times she knew she could never again relive.

She was brought back to reality as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her shoulders. Panic began setting in as the thought of the Seiryuu recapturing her entered her mind.

"It's only me," a soothingly voice, Chichiri's voice, said upon feeling her body tense up. "I'm sorry, I hadn't meant to startle you," his warm breath tickling her neck as he spoke.

Turning her head she saw his mask-less face smiling comfortingly at her. She had not seen him move, but, when she thought about it, she had not been watching anything for the last few minutes. Smiling wearily she brought her gaze back forward and allowed herself to be pulled back to rest against his chest.

"The past is troublesome thing isn't it," he said as he rested his cheek against her temple. He didn't have to see her expression to know she was making a face at him. "I know you can't answer that at the moment," he half chuckled despite himself.

As if to tell him she did not appreciate the comment she blindly poked his side, causing him to shift with a small laugh. Raising a brow Keara found herself wondering if she had found a weakness in the monk's defenses.

Placing his cheek back where it had previously rested he found himself sighing softly. "Sometimes I wonder if our minds like to remember things just to spite us." He had not expected any response, but he got one with the slight shrug of her shoulders.

Silence passed between the two of them for sometime, a time when not even movement spoke silent words. Only the soft crashing of the water against the shore and the gentle rustle of leaves as they swayed in the breeze, with the occasional chirp of a cricket, could be heard. Words did not need to be spoken however. The company they offered each other was more than enough to comfort their weary hearts.

It was during this time that Keara became very aware of her placement. When Chichiri had sat behind her he had sat up on his knees, leaving a gap between his legs with the intention to do as he had – pull her back to him. Now she rested between them, something that made her blush and become slightly uneasy.

She had to find some way to advert her attention from this and found that the best way to do so was to assault his arms, which were still secured around her shoulders, with gently pokes. The action was not outlandish to her, in fact it was something of a game often played with friends, but the same could not be said for the monk who was both bewildered and enthralled by the game.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked and only chuckled when the girl nodded.

He had been brooding over his past throughout the day, something that had cast a depressed emotion over him, but now he felt at ease, lighthearted even, as he held Keara. A question suddenly emerged within his mind and before he even had a chance to think about it he found his mouth uttering, "What is about you that I –"

His sudden stop confused Keara for a moment, but she quickly realized what had grabbed his attention- his fishing pole had gone flying into the water.

"I forgot I was fishing," Chichiri murmured, but made no move to retrieve the object as it raced across the water with the unfortunate fish still attached.

* * *

Can you say "bye buy fishing pole." Lol. Aww this chapter was so cute :D 

Please Review

Thanks!


	22. Chapter 22

I don't own FY

…OK I know I said I'd update once a week while on break… but ya, that obviously didn't work. I've been working practically full time (need money to back to school with :P) and I've become obsessed with Naruto, so I get home from work at night and I plop down to watch a few episodes. Procrastination never helps any either XP Ah well. I kinda made up for it with this story- it's much longer than normal.

Ah, yes. To those of you who have asked me to read your stories please don't feel insulted that I haven't gotten around to them yet. I will eventually (hopefully before I go back to school), I just need to get my butt down at the computer long enough to do so and preferably when I'm not exhausted so I'm not reading them half heartedly.

Anywho, Thanks for reviewing:

**plutobaby494**– Lol. A very good question. We shall see :)

**Ayshia**– Lol. If you thought that was funny you might fall over laughing from the beginning of this chapter XD Ya, something around that. Thank you!

**Chichirifan **– Should I take that as an insult? Just kidding! Lol. Thank you :)

**bant**– Fluff, fluff… Lol. Thank you and I'm glad you liked it :)

**ChirikoFan**– Thank you :)

**Where I Walk Alone**– Cliffy –looks down- aw man… –falls in a cartoon like fashion- Lol. Thank you :)

**Everqueen**– Lol. Glad you liked it. Ya, I tend to have mess with the pasts of my characters, not always, but a fair amount of the time.

**Flames of Sadness Hurt and Betrayal **– Thank you:) That's alright. I'm glad you decided to review now :) I love hearing what people think!

**KamiKaze no Kage**– Thank you and I'll do my best!

**Chichiri's Wanderer**– Ya, that was really sad. Lol. They'll just have to wait, ne? Thank you!

**Dimonah Tralon**– Thank you. It's great to hear that I'm describing them right. I was a little worried that I wasn't doing enough, but I didn't want to drag them out either.

**R.W.A 13**– Lol. Thank you. Dive monk, dive XD Ya, I felt bad about the really late update, I hate having that much time pass between chapters because people tend to forget what's happening XP Sorry about that.

**Gammergirl**– Thank you. Hopefully he'll finish what he started. Lol.

**Crimson Firefox **– Lol. I seem to be very good at torturing people with cliffhangers and cutoffs. Lol.

**BlAcKeSt StAr CaTcHeR**– Thank you!

**Tsukikage** – Lol. Yey! Thank you.

**Noyesgirl**– Thank you and here's an update :)

**Anonmyous reader **– ooooooh, it's a no name person –looks around curiously as if trying to spot them in a crowd- I'm sorry, I'm honestly a bad spell. Lol. Actually I'm a heck of a lot better than I used to be but I do tend to make mistakes like that more often than I like.

**Alatril Carnesr**– ya, it really does, but there's always a way out. I agree full heartedly, I'd be the same way. Lol. I like that motto.

**YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko**– COOKIES –grabs some and munches away- I hope you like this chapter too :)

**Naomi **– Well you can't keep a character in persona all the time when you add an OC, I do my best to keep him in character as much as possible, but there are points where I have to make a small change. Lol. That would have been rather funny.

**Lady of the Cats** – Lol. Sorry about that XP And sorry for the last chapter taking so long, that annoyed me a lot, so I know it bothered my readers too.

**PsYcho PaRfait** – Aww, thanks so much! Ya, I find them interesting too, but, unfortunately, they're not often found and when they are they're not well written most of the time. So, thanks, that means a lot to me :)

* * *

**Chapter 22**

The air smelled sweet, no, that was not the proper word to use. It smelled absolutely divine. It was scent that would cause one's mouth to water almost instantly. A scent Keara knew all to well and loved greatly-

Chocolate.

Keara mentally squealed in delight and looked about her. It was as if she had fallen into a land made completely of chocolate, for everything in sight looked and smelled like her favorite candy. It was pure heaven!

Running to a chocolaty tree she hugged it happily. Normally she wasn't one to harm nature, but this time she just couldn't resist. It smelled too good and it had been far too long since she had eaten anything chocolate related, so she took a bite… until it cried in protest that it.

"Itai no da!"

Instantly she let go and her chocolaty world changed back into the real one, or at least the world she had been traveling in for the last few weeks. Chichiri sat there clutching his arm, all the while a shocked and slightly horrified look on his masked face.

"Why did you do that no da?"

Tauski burst out laughing at his two friends, one looking shocked and the other dazed and confused. He was laughing so hard he could not even utter a word and fell over onto his back as he gasped for air between his intense laughter.

Keara finally realized what happened and blushed. 'Gomen Chichiri,' she mouthed.

He took several quick breaths like a child would do before bursting into sobs. "Itai," he repeated.

Chiriko handed something to her with a smile. "You must be hungry, here."

Looking at the fruit she sighed. She was hungry, but not for real food. She wanted candy, the sort that the world she was currently in didn't know much of anything about. Shaking her head she let him know she did not want it.

Tasuki by this time was beginning to regain his composure, but was still having a bit of a problem catching his breath. "No- she- just-wanted a- bite- a'- Chichi-ri."

The comment made Keara blush even harder than before and, though it was left unseen, Chichiri blushed as well. "Leave her alone Tasuki," Mitsukake said as he tried to hide his own smile.

vvvv

Keara sighed softly to herself. The day had started off badly enough for her, but now it was getting worse with the rain coming down in buckets as they traveled onward. 'I bit him,' she thought for the umpteenth time that day, 'I can't believe I bit him.'

She walked behind everyone else for a change, but that was her own choice. She didn't want to be up near Tasuki who she knew would still poke fun at her for the morning's events, nor did she want to feel Chichiri's gaze upon her back for the same basic reasons. Could the day get any worse?

As if to answer her there was a bright flash of light, which was quickly followed by a loud clash of thunder from the heavens above. 'Today is not my day,' she thought with another sigh.

"We should find shelter no da," Chichiri cried over another roar of thunder. "There should be caves around this area."

"Right!" Tasuki cried over yet another thunder bolt.

Chichiri turned to look back at the girl behind, "Keara come-" he stopped suddenly when something familiar caught his eyes, something that made his blood run cold instantly. "Look out!"

Keara was confused and turned to find out what was bothering the monk. Having turned with her arm wide she felt something smack rather harshly into it, sending small jolts of pain through her body. Bewildered Keara looked at the ground only to find something she had not expected in the least- Soi clutching her bleeding nose.

Shocked beyond belief her body did not pay heed to her minds cries to flee immediately. She just stood there staring at the Seiryuu seshi as she held her nose like it were broken, a possibility that had high enough odds given the amount of force her hand had hit her with.

A firm hand grasped her own, stealing her from her trance and pulled her in the direction she had been traveling in only moment before. The mass of blue in front of her blurred eyes informed her it was Chichiri who had grabbed her, his staff now in hand.

Her mind suddenly became aware of a dilemma within its system, one that was neither good nor deadly. Even though she had knocked Soi away, accidentally or not, a jolt of electricity had coursed through her body with enough force to cause her muscles to go numb. Through her shock she had not taken any notice of it but as the emotion rapidly vanished she became horribly aware of it. Her body betrayed her then, something that caused her to fall to the ground.

Chichiri, having felt a sudden lurch on his arm, twisted around in time to prevent Keara from falling to anything more than her knees. "You alright?" His words were hastened, but worry was clearly weaved into them.

Looking down at her legs she willed them to get up, but they would not listen to her. Before she had a chance to turn back to him she heard a sharp 'pang,' a sound that resembled that of a hard object smashing into metal. In fact this was the case. Suboshi's deadly ball had crashed into Tasuki's fan, an act that saved her very life.

Before Keara had a chance to turn back to Chichiri she felt herself lifted into a strong pair of arms. "Tasuki lets go!" Chichiri cried over the thunder.

"Right!"

Keara looked up at the determined face of the mask-less monk. He was going to keep to his promise and make sure she was safe, even if it meant endangering himself. 'Stupid monk,' her mind thought as tears brimmed in her eyes. 'If I die it doesn't matter, but Miaka needs you.'

"_That's hardly true,"_ a mysterious voice entered her mind

'Huh?' her mind asked. 'Has all the stress finally caused my mind to crack?'

Her vision was blurry from her tears as she looked upon Chichiri's face, which caused it to sway as if it were nothing more than a reflection in a pond whose surface had just been troubled by a fallen leaf. He must have felt her staring and brought his own gaze down to meet hers. Concern quickly covered his face as he saw her tears.

"Keara, it's going to be alright," half of the words were lost to Keara's ears however, for her mind fading into darkness and not even the drumming of the rain could disturb her.

Her mind was not left completely void however. Standing in the darkness was a tall man with a wondrous red aura flowing about his handsome figure and two powerful wings curled upon his back. He seemed almost majestic as she traveled closer and closer to him.

Before she knew it she was standing before him and realized just how tall he was when compared to her- he was taller than Chichiri by several inches. With a smile the man gently placed his index finger on her forehead, an act that caused her gaze to drift up to his handsome face.

"_You're very important child,"_ he told her. His voice was enchanting and she felt all her worries drift away like the tears that had brimmed her eyes only moments ago. _"Even if you are not a miko."_

'Who are you?' she found herself thinking.

The man chuckled and brought his finger from her forehead and patted her on the head, _"We've met once before."_

He had heard her! This shock was quickly brushed aside however as she came to think about what she had just been told. She was sure that if she had ever met someone such as him she would remember, but her mind ran a blank as she tried to place him.

The man chuckled as he watched her puzzled form. _"I brought you here for a reason Keara," _he took his hand away. His form suddenly began vanishing before her eyes, _"Remember that."_

vvvv

Keara woke with a start. With a mental groan she thought about what had just gone on inside her head. 'What a strange dream,' it was all she could conclude the meeting as. It could not be normal for a man such as that to simply wander into your mind and speak with you as if he knew more than a little about you.

As her eyes came into focused she came to realize that something was rather strange. For one thing she was lying in a cave, a fact that would have induced panic if she had not remembered Chichiri saying something about finding shelter in them before the Seiryuu had attacked.

This fact incited another- she should be soaking wet. As her mind sought for the feeling of her cold and wet cloths clinging to her skin she came upon the disturbing fact that she was both warm and dry. It was also due to her mind checking over its body that she came to realize that something solid and warm was pressed against her back and something was wrapped around the area just below her breasts.

Turning her head to look over her shoulder she saw an all too familiar bubbled cape wrapped around her stomach and a white sleeved arm looped around her lower chest area. 'Chichiri?' she felt heat rise to her cheeks. What was he doing sleeping so close!

Luckily for her the sleeping monk had not pinned her arm to her side. While she could not deny that it was very pleasant to be lying with the blue haired man she could not suppress the slight uneasiness evoked by it. Why she was uneasy she was not entirely sure, but she guessed it had something to do with the fact that she had not knowingly placed herself in the situation and that they were just friends… or at least she thought that was how he considered her.

Gingerly she wrapped her fingers around his wrist and took a deep breath before lifting it slowly and carefully into the air. She had managed to get it up a few inched when he shifted closer to her in his sleep and brought his arm back down to where it had been, only this time with a slightly tighter grasp around her. It was almost as if he was afraid to let go of her, even in his slumber.

Now she was really pinned and the only chance to get away was to awaken the monk. With a sigh she decided against the idea. He had saved her yesterday and it was only fair to let him rest… with his arm around her… and his body so close…

Her face turned cherry red and she realized she would find little more sleep that night. With a small sigh she found her mind wandering from her current placement to wondering how much of a reprieve they would have before their next encounter with the Seiryuu seshi's. Nakago was hell-bent on capturing her, much like Miaka. Thinking of the miko made her wonder how she and Tamahome were making out.

'They'll be fine,' she told herself after a moment. 'Tamahome won't let any harm come of Miaka.'

Her mind was shot back to its prior thoughts as Chichiri's arm shifted upward and came to lie, literally, right under her breasts. Her face flushed back to the color it had been moments before. Sleeping or not she could not allow him to continue traveling in private property.

Reaching behind her she did a simple trick she hoped would work- she tickled his side. Even if he did not awaken from her touch he was bound to shift into a position that would make her more comfortable. Unfortunately he did the exact opposite, his grip on her first tightened and he seemed to be fighting the urge to utter something.

It was then that realization dawned on Keara- he had squirmed when she had poked his side the night before too. Putting the two together she smirked evilly.

Taking back some of her gentleness in her hands she quickly found Chichiri unable to hide what he had been trying to keep quiet- laughter. The monk was ticklish and she was going to exploit that weakness to the fullest extent.

Though the original plan had been to not wake him she was now all too willing to do so, especially since it meant torturing the monk in a very playful manner. And awaken he did, in fact he had awakened almost instantly after she had first started tickling him, but, until the moment she decided to be cruel, he had refused to let her know he was awake.

Letting go of her he tried to get away before he could burst into hysterics and wake everyone else up. Just what was she trying to pull anyway!

Unfortunately for him she was not about to quit and she virtually pounced on him to continue her torture. He tried to fight back, honestly he had, but she had gotten the better of him and had promptly pinned him to the ground. He had no where to go and he was quickly falling into hysterics, rendering him utterly helpless to the torturous girl.

The others were awakened from the ruckus and were not sure what to make of the scene before them. Was Keara attacking Chichiri? Or was she merely playing?

Tasuki was disgruntled from being awakened and looked at the two noise makers sleepily. All his mind could register was that Keara was on top of Chichiri, who was laughing his head off.

"What the hell are ya two doing!"

Keara stopped her assault and looked over to the three other seshi's in surprise- she had forgotten they were there. Her gaze then turned down at Chichiri, who was slowly calming himself, and back up then down again before realizing what the disgruntled redhead must have thought they were going. Blushing heavily she practically leapt off the monk and threw the forgotten kesa over her head.

Chichiri just remained where he was on the ground, his breathing slightly labored as he tried to refill his lungs with the needed oxygen. He had not laughed so hard or so much in years, since before the flood that had stolen those precious to him in fact. It felt absolutely wonderful, even if it had happened because Keara had assaulted him, the reason for which still eluded his mind.

"Are you alright Chichiri?" Chiriko asked as he rubbed his tired eyes. Unlike his redheaded friend he knew the two were playing around, even though it was the ungodly hour of one in the morning.

Taking in a deep breath the monk answered with, "Hai."

The child nodded and fell back over onto him mat, instantly falling back asleep. Mitsukake yawned and followed suit, Tasuki doing the same after a few more moments of tired contemplation, something that proved little more valuable that baby babble in his sleep deprived brain.

Sitting up Chichiri easily spotted Keara only a few feet away peaking out from under his kesa. She was wearing that strange skin tight outfit she had worn the first day in his world. 'What was it called?' he pondered for a moment. He could not remember the name of the sport she did, but it had something to do with dangerous stunts and flexibility. Whatever it was the outfit shared the same name.

Keara seemed timid for a moment as she looked at him, but the emotion quickly disappeared and she crawled over to him. With the kesa atop her head she reminded him of a small child crawling out from under the covers after a frightening dream.

He was about to say something to her when he found his vision had turned black- Keara had thrown the cape over his head. With a small chuckle he took it off and placed it on the ground next to him. "At least I know you're alright," he said softly so as not to wake the others again.

She gave him a meek smile. Being both embarrassed and afraid of what the monk would do about her tickling attack she had a reason to be a little reclusive. Thankfully the others had gone back to sleep, but that did not rid her of her anxiety.

It was because of this that she was surprised when she felt Chichiri wrap his arms around her. "Thank you for the laughs," he whispered into her ear. "They were well needed."

His breath was hot and moist against her skin and she involuntarily shivered because of it. Thinking she was cold Chichiri pulled away and wrapped his kesa around his shoulders and rubbed her arms through it.

She looked into his reddish-brown eye and smiled shyly. Taking one hand she placed it on her chest, a motion that caused Chichiri to take his hands away thinking that she might be trying to talk to him in her silent language and indeed she was. After a moments hesitation she crossed both arms over her chest, fists loosely clenched, which was then followed by her taking one hand and pointing to him.

"What does that mean?" he had understood two of the three gestures, but it was the middle one that was most important and he had never before seen it.

Keara merely smiled softly and shook her head. It was obvious that she was not going to give the meaning away, at least not just yet. It was not the first time she had done this to him, but, for whatever reason, this time it bothered him the most.

Sighing he reached out he placed his palm on her cheek. Silently he let his thumb caress her soft skin as he admired how the light from the dying fire reflected upon her gentle face. He did not know why, but he felt at peace with the world and himself as he gazed at her. It was a feeling he had been deprived of for years, much like the laughter she had playfully tortured him into erupting.

Keara was truly something else. Since her appearance so much had changed within him. It was an odd feeling, one he had been weary of at first, but now he accepted it gladly. It was the small things that she did that effected him the most, things such as her simple game of tickling him or taking the time to teach him a language through which she could speak to him. She never tried to lecture him or otherwise force things down his throat. No, it was quite the opposite in fact. She often put things into the air for him to grasp if he so desired to or would just be herself, something that, more times than not, made him feel at ease all on its own.

She had been a great friend from the moment she had arrived and yet as he thought of the word 'friend' now he wondered if it was truly describing how he felt towards her. She was kind and playful, determined but not too reckless, understanding and helpful and so many other things he could not find the words for.

He barely registered his body as it began moving forward, his gaze falling down upon her soft pink lips. She had been there for him when he desperately desired company but would not admit it. She had even changed his mood from depression into joy on several occasions.

His mind saw her lips through his eye and it desired to steal a simple kiss from her, desired to feel her lips upon his, wanted to know that he was –

Tasuki suddenly muttered something rather loudly in his sleep and rolled over. The noise broke through the trance both Chichiri and Keara had fallen into, only for them to find that their lips were about an inch apart.

Blushing heavily the two of them quickly pulled away and looked everywhere but at each other. After a moment Chichiri found his voice, "goodnight," was all he uttered, very softly, before he lay down on his side.

Biting her lip Keara took a second to ponder something before crawling over to him. Taking his cloak from her shoulders she placed it over him, causing him to open his eye and gaze up at her curiously. She only smiled softly at him and lay down so she was facing him.

'Night' she mouthed before closing her eyes and falling into a peaceful slumber.

Sitting up he smiled to himself and shook his head as he adjusted his kesa so that the width of it went across him, allowing there to be enough of the material to drape over Keara as well. Settling back down he gazed at her sleeping form for several minutes, watching as she breathed in and out slowly, something that told she was indeed asleep.

With a faint smile he closed his eye and followed her peacefully into the world of dreams, not realizing that as he did so his arm wrapped protectively around her.

* * *

Awwwww. Can you say "Kawaii"?

Fun and fluff filled with a bit of drama mixed in. But, hey, Soi got clocked. Lol.

Please review!

Thanks!


	23. Chapter 23

I don't own FY

Sorry for the late update guys, with my second semester of college I've been terribly busy. I've had barely any time to relax! Honestly I had to put my homework aside to write and re-read this chapter… which wasn't the smartest idea on my part because now my work load is about to topple over on me and cause me to completely stress out T.T I just spent 7 hours doing an assignment due tomorrow! Oi! My eyes hurt now and my fingers are crampt T.T I really hate painting (though for one part of I was painting the four gods of this story (all black and white, thank god). It came out pretty cool, but it was so tedious! Dang little lines! Grrrrr). And I'm animating this semester (traditional animation), which is already taking a few hours off of each weekend, never mind the work my 5 other classes give.

Anyways this chapter isn't anywhere near as fluffy as the last, but it does get back to the reality of things (or the reality of our favorite monks mind anyway. Lol).

Thanks for reviewing:

**Noyesgirl**– Sort of I guess. Lol. She was hunting them though. I kinda wish I had busted her nose in this chapter, it would have made me feel better. Lol

**Tsukikage**- XD Yes she does. Lol. …Maybe –chuckle- Thank you, the same to you (even though it late now…. Sorry).

**plutobaby494**- …maybe. Lol. It'll be revealed soon enough what it's meaning is. Thank you and sorry for the delay.

**PsYcho PaRfait** – Lol. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Sorry for the delay

**Chichirifan**- (or should I say CF. Lol) Thank you. Ya, I was craving sugar myself when I wrote the last chapter, so it kind of leaked out. Lol. No, I haven't been able to just yet, sorry. I've just been so dang busy. I'll get to it eventually though!

**Dimonah Tralon**- Thank you :) Lol. We all love Tasuki anyway, right?

**Everqueen**- hehe, Soi got what she deserved XD

**Gammergirl**- Thanks :) Ya, I recently downloaded Bleach, but I haven't really been able to watch it. I tried watching it when was I painted my project, but it's REALLY hard to paint and read subtitles at the same time. Lol.

**Where I Walk Alone**- Glad you enjoyed it :) Sorry for the delay!

**SAI C**- Thank you :) YEY! Cookies for the stressed college girl –munches on one as she thinks about her ball bouncing with a fox tail (yey for traditional animation. Lol. Lots of fun, but lots of work XP)-

**R.W.A 13**- Lol. Aw, that's alright :) Fanfic writing is very distracting T.T I loved the distraction, don't get me wrong, but I picked a bad time to want one –sigh-

**bant**- Fluff is good everyone and again, right? Lol. I'm glad everyone enjoyed that :)

**Flames of Sadness Hurt and Betrayal**- Sorry for the delay. Hehe, gotta love girls with huge chocolate cravings XD

**Crimson Firefox**- Thank you :D Ya, I had a ball writing the last chapter :)

**D.D.Z.** – Duel review! Woot! Lol. Thank you. I'm glad the last chapter was such a hit :D

**Chichiri's Wanderer**- XD Oh but of course. Lol So many questions…. Mind can't register O.o Lol XD

**Ayshia**- I'm glad you are enjoying it :) Sorry for the delay!

**Painted Angel Wings**- Lol. Hey, it makes for better suspense. Lol

* * *

**Chapter 23**

Soi growled angrily as she glared at the fire before her with such bitterness that even Suboshi sat as far from her as possible while still being warmed by the fire. It had been several hours since their last encounter with the Suzaku seshi, but her nose still pained her and a red tinge continued to linger upon it as if to remind the world of how easily she had been defeated by the otherworldly girl.

Electricity crackled around her as she sat there brooding. It was enraging to think that she, a Seiryuu seshi, had been removed from battle because of an accidental blow dealt by an average girl. Nakago would not be pleased to hear of this, something that angered her even further. That retched girl had been causing nothing but trouble for them since the day they had met and with each encounter she was coming up with better ways to both annoy and evade them.

Growling once more she found she could say one thing soundly- at least Keara wasn't the Suzaku no miko. In her opinion they were fortunate to have the naive Miaka as their opposing miko, the girl seemed hardly capable of taking care of herself in their world and wasn't anywhere near as cunning as the Seiryuu no miko, even if she was being manipulated by Nakago.

This new brat however had proven herself irritatingly intelligent when it came to keeping out of their grasp, or devising plans to escape when caught, powerful enough to knock out Nakago, a feat even Tamahome had great difficulties with (not that she understood how Keara was capable of such powers), and even had the unbreakable friendship of the Suzaku seshi. There was little doubt that had Keara been called forth by the god of the south it would have proven much more difficult to deceive her with things such as placing a false seshi in her clutches.

The fact remained however that Keara was not a miko, nor was she a seshi. She was a normal girl, or as normal as one gets for being from another world, and all they needed to do was find that simple weakness and exploit it before she had a chance to counter.

With this thought she let her mind explore the possibilities, each one worse than the last.

vvvv

Keara groaned softly as she slowly became aware of the world around her. Even though her mind was awakening from the well needed slumber she wanted nothing more than to stay where she was and fall back into the realm she had wandered within for the past few hours. It had been a wonderful place filled with all the things she loved from her world- family, friends, gymnastics, chocolate and other such things.

Not wanting to return to the world of reality just yet she hugged her pillow tightly… or at least it would have been her pillow had she been home. While the object she was clinging to did have something of a soft feel it definitely had a firm structure underneath its surface, unlike her extremely soft pillow that simply squished when she hugged it. Aside from this her pillow didn't normally have much of a scent to it, but this object smelled a bit musty, due to the dampness, and richly of a campfire.

Curiosity overtook her will to sleep and she opened her eyes only to find herself looking strait at a slightly dirtied white shirt. This completely confused her. Where was she?

As she turned her gaze upward she found her answer as well as her inability to breath. The object she was clinging to was a person! More to the point, it was Chichiri! How in the world has she ended up in this position? She could have sworn she had fallen asleep with some distance between them!

Despite her tight embrace, something often seen from small children who refuse to let go of their favorite stuffed animal, the monk still remained comfortably asleep. In fact he even had an arm draped around her, though his embrace was more protective than clingy.

Her vision suddenly started to blur and she realized she had been holding her breath for the past few moments. Exhaling sharply she took in a well needed breath of oxygen and mentally smacked herself for forgetting such a basic necessity.

When her breathing became normal once again she loosened her grasp on Chichiri and listened out for any signs of their other companions, wondering if they had awakened already. The only sound she heard however was the monk's soft breathing. Not even the crackling of the fire could be heard, which meant no one had gotten up to tend to it in the night. For this she grateful because it meant that no one had seen them in their current predicament and she wished to keep it that way, even if she found the placement rather comfortable.

The simplest and most painless way to awaken the monk turned out to be about the same as the one she had used only a few hours before, but instead of tickling him this time she only gave him a playful pinch on his side. If a simple poke to the area made him shift something a little more assertive was bound to make him awaken.

Chichiri groaned tiredly and shifted slightly to the touch, but not enough to free her. With an amused smile Keara repeated the action and silently laughed as the monk involuntarily twitched and uttered a soft, "meh." Had he been standing he would have either jumped or taken a step back, but he was lying on the ground and hadn't anywhere to go.

She was about to repeat the action once again when she felt a hand lock around her wrist. "Good morning Keara," Chichiri murmured with a faint smile, knowing full well who his attacker was even with his eye closed.

Deciding to not let her playfulness end so soon she twist her wrist around enough to poke his arm, an action that caused the monk to chuckle and release her. Grinning to herself she sat up and stretched. She had won the battle, now all she had to do was win the war.

Chichiri yawned quietly as he followed suit. "Sleep well?" Keara nodded and gestured towards him as if to ask the same thing. "Hai," he replied softly. Even though he would not admit it he had slept very peacefully, much more so than he had in quite some time.

"It's already late morning," Chichiri murmured to himself as he looked out the cave entrance. He turned his gaze to the young woman before him and smiled, "will you help me wake the others?"

With a nod Keara crawled off towards her first target- a certain redheaded bandit leader.

vvvv

"I can't believe we slept in so late," Chiriko said with a sigh. They had been walking for a few hours now, but they had originally planned to have traveled many more miles by this point in time.

"It doesn't help tha' some people-" he glanced over at Chichiri and Keara, "were causin' a racket las' night."

Chichiri scratched the back of his head nervously, "gomen no da." His mask was back in place and his kesa over his shoulder.

"Everyone needed the rest as it was," Mitsukake interjected. "We have all been exhausted from the constant battles with the Seiryuu seshi." No one could deny this fact, but it still remained that they were behind schedule and they desperately needed to catch up with their miko.

vvvv

Suboshi looked all about him. They had been traveling since dawn and still there were no signs of the Suzaku seshi or the girl they were after. It was extremely frustrating to chase after this group, especially when they did not know if the seshi were ahead of or behind them. If they were behind them all he and Soi had to do was slow their pace and keep their eyes open, but if the Suzaku seshi were ahead of them such an action would further the gap that had already been created.

With a sigh the boy crossed his arms and kept up his pace. Without having anything to go off of they were being led blind, but it was better to be ahead than behind if that was in fact their current placement. If they were ahead they would get to Sairou first and be able to tell if the Suzaku seshi had been there and if they had not all he and Soi had to do was backtrack and set up a trap.

He found himself wondering if Soi had the patience for something so simple however. For some time now the lightning seshi had been hell-bent on killing the mute girl, but with recent events the ideal had increased tenfold, making her seemly possessed and extremely frightening to be around.

In some ways he felt bad for the girl they were hunting, but in other ways he knew she had brought it upon herself. Had she just cooperated with them from the beginning none of this would be happening.

"Why are women so damn complicated?" he muttered to himself.

vvvv

Dusk was beginning setting in when the Suzaku seshi decided to stop for the night. Everyone was exhausted from the hard days travel since they had attempted to make up lost time and gladly accepted the chance to rest.

When camp was set Tasuki, feeling as if he had enough energy, disappeared to go hunting, leaving the others behind to do as they may. The youngest of the group took the free time to look over a map and make sure they were travling on the right paths. Mitsukake was next to him grinding herbs into powder. Even Keara was busying herself writing something in her native language- English. She was so involved in it that she took no notice as Chichiri get up and walk off. Perhaps that was a good thing though, for the monk seemed to want to be alone.

Chichiri wandered through the trees that grew to one side of their campsite with no destination in mind. On a normal day he would have been fine to sit around the fire and wait for Tasuki to return, but today something troubled him and it was making him uneasy.

A small lake came into sight several moments later. Its body was twinkling with the rays of the waning sun and the wondrous colors of sunset decorated the sky like a magnificent painting. Had he known this beauty was here he would have volunteered to get supper.

A gentle breeze blew past him, caressing his skin and rustled his hair as it went, but he paid little heed to it as he wandered over to a bolder that protruded some ways into the lake. The water swayed around the great multicolored rock as its small waves washed towards the shore to moisten the earth that had been left to dry during low tide.

Chichiri came to stand at the very end of the bolder to overlooking the lake, losing his mind to the gentle splashing of water below him. The scene was very peaceful, but within him was a conflict of such intensity that it canceled out the emotions of the place. This conflict dealt strongly with a certain young woman who had crept her way into his heart without his notice… or perhaps he had noticed it, but had refused to let himself think much of it because of the lingering grief of losing Hikou and Kouran those years ago.

Sighing he wondered if he would ever be able to forgive himself for that event. Part of him, the one that had dominated his mind since that fateful day, clearly said no, but the other part of him, a part that had been growing steadily stronger, wanted nothing more than to say yes.

With yet another sigh he brought a hand up to his face and removed the mask that idly sat there. He had created such covers to conceal his scar, knowing that it startled people, but that was not the only reason for its existence. Perhaps the biggest reason he wore it was to keep his past to himself and let others live their lives the best they could without feeling the need to worry over him. Even if he told his past to his friends they simply pushed it to the back of their minds when there was no sign of the scar to remind them of the dreadful tale. In all respects it was a normal human reaction.

His mind now spun wildly with grief and confusion and without realizing it he crushed his mask with one hand. Everything seemed so wrong. His mind wanted to stay loyal to his deceased friend and fiancé, but he found his heart betraying him by reaching out for Keara. It was as if his very heart was a stubborn child who was running away from his parents after an argument, only to take a moment to look back and stick his tongue out before continuing on his way.

But which should he follow, his head or his heart? One would keep him on the steady path he was currently on and the other would take him down a path much like the one he had traveled in the past- a path that had been filled with happiness for quite some time, but turned into nothing but grief and chaos by the end. Would the latter path turn out as the last one had? Or would it be different?

There was no answer for these questions and he doubted even Taiitsukun would be able to give him an honest response. The only way to find out would be to travel upon the rode, but by doing so he might just doom Keara, as he had doomed Kouran and Hikou, and this was not a risk he was keen on taking. And even if no would end up being killed because of his decision there was sill the fact that Keara was not from their world. She, like Miaka, would have to return home eventually…

The mere thought of losing Keara sent a jolt of pain through his chest, or, to be more precise, it felt like a dagger had just being ruthlessly jammed into his heart. In an attempt to ward of the emotion he shut his eye tightly and clenched his jaw, but this did little more than cause his jaw muscles to cramp.

It was a horrible pain, one he knew far too well. He had felt it after the flood years ago, when he lost those dear to him, and now that the thought of losing someone else, someone just as important, entered his mind the emotion had resurfaced as if to drown him.

Perhaps the thought had been taken too literally. The next thing the distracted monk knew something or someone shoved him off the bolder and into the lake.

* * *

So Chichiri was brooding. Silly monk, don't you know things happen to those who do that…. Like getting shoved into a lake for instance! But who would do such a thing? ….the world may never know XD Just kidding, we'll find out next chapter :D

Holy Suzaku (hehe) it's nearly 1am O.o I have a 8:30 class! Gah! -runs off-

Please Review

Thanks :)


	24. Chapter 24

I don't own FY

I'm back and I'm ALIVE! Lol. Sorry for the delay guys, school's been nothing but work this semester and I've had very little free time to do things fun, such as writing my stories, which is rather depressing T.T Currently I'm on spring break, but I go back tomorrow… and this is the only story I've worked on since I've gotten home n.n;; Laziness kicked in because I could finally relax for the first time in ages and, aside from that, my mind has been in 'la-la land'. Hehehe… sorry….

I can't promise regular updates, but school is almost over (I'm done beginning of May) and after that I should be back on track. Until then I'll update when I can.

I've been informed that I can't respond to review (thanks for that heads up by the way otaku-no-miko), which sucks. I think the rule is rather stupid, but I'd better follow it before some mod (or whoever) gets mad and deletes something. But in a brief overview of things, thank you for all your kind reviews, I'm glad your enjoying the story and, let's see who our trouble making, Chichiri shoving, character is. I think that should be allowed, right? …ah… erm… right.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 24**

A cold, wet sensation rushed up from his toes to engulf his entire body as it continued to pull him down into its mighty depths. Visibility was minimal and the ability to hear was clouded by the mass all about him. The mask that had been clenched so tightly in his fist moment before fell from his lax hand and slowly continued to sink down into the darkness beneath his feet.

It took a moment for Chichiri's brain to catch up with his body and realize he was underwater and needed to get to the surface in order to breathe again. Looking up he quickly made sure he was facing the right direction before kicking his legs to carry him upward.

Within seconds he broke the surface of the lake only to cough up the bits of water that had attempted to enter his lungs. His bangs lay flat against his head, half of which clung to his face as if glued there. Pealing these offending hairs off his face he finally took in a deep breath of fresh air and looked up to the rock he had once been standing.

His mind was shocked, but his heart fluttered in what could only be described as joy, even if he was currently in a cold lake, at the sight. Sitting on the pads of her feet with her arms resting causally on her knees and an innocent smile on her lips was none other than Keara. She waved down at him when she saw him looking at her.

Chichiri chuckled despite himself and was about to say something when she began signing something. First she pointed at him then she began turning her head to the side as her hand came to pinch her nose closed. The meaning was obvious, as was the fact that she was making fun of him.

The monk fought back a grin as he edged his way towards the shore. His playful side began flaring, even if he no longer had his mask. "First to throw me into the lake, now you're saying I smell. When I get my hands on you…" he let the playful warning hang in the air and began swimming quickly to shore as Keara picked herself and ran to the other end of the rock to get away.

As soon as he was able he ran the rest of the way out of the lake after Keara, whom had gotten a head start on him. Darting through the nearby tree's it proved to be more difficult to keep the girl within his sights, but not enough to lose her. Besides for this there was another obstacle keeping them apart - while he had longer legs than her, allowing him to cover more space with his strides, she was more agile, which enabled her to keep the distance between them.

"You can't run forever," he called out with a laugh. The air whipped around him as the chase continued, effectively drying him as he went and making him colder than before, not that the he paid much heed to the latter fact.

Quite suddenly Keara vanished from sight, causing a jolt of worry to pass through his mind. People don't just vanish without reason! He came to stop in the last place he had seen her and looked all about as he breathed heavily.

"Keara," he called out. When there was no response he called out again, this time concern filling his voice. "Kea- ow," a hand flung to the back of his head where something had just hit him. Turning around he came see an average sized acorn sitting upon the ground silently mocking him.

Pulling his hand away he looked up with a small smile, "Keara come out." Turning slightly he looked for the hidden teen amongst the trees and foliage, only to arch his back and have a hand fly to the left end of his backside as another acorn hit him there. "Keara!"

Turning in the direction the acorn had come from he saw Keara jumping out of a tree and dart off once more. Quick to react there was little space this time between them, but Chichiri, once again, could not gain on her if he kept up the same way he was.

Deviating from his current path he darting through the trees, kesa billowing wildly behind him, hoping that he could somehow get in pace with her. Keara did not seem to have noticed Chichiri's change of course, nor did she notice that he had in fact managed to catch up to her… not until it was too late that is.

Seemingly out of nowhere Chichiri came out and grabbed her around the waist. The momentum between them caused the duo to do spin in a full circle and they only kept from falling to the ground because of the monks' firm footing. Keara's initial shock turned into glee as she broke into silent laughter, one voiced through Chichiri as he chimed in with his own laughter.

"Fin-ally-caught-you," Chichiri half laughed, half panted into her hair as they came to a rest. He tightened his grip slightly around her waist and rested his forehead on the back of her head as he tried to steady his breathing. She had given him quite a chase, one that also left her trying to catch her breath, though she was no where near as bad as he was.

Breathing deeply through his nose Chichiri caught the two scents clinging to her hair- one of a campfire and the other sweet like a flower. It was a strange combination, but it was pleasant all the same and he found himself sighing happily. Aside from this he was more than a little content with holding her so close. In fact it was almost too good to be true, which is where his mind took its queue to come in and be far too practical. It kept reminding him of Kouran, of Hikou and the pain he had been forced to endure because he had loved them so.

Keara sensed the tension growing within the monk as his grasp around her waist tightened. With a sorry smile she gently stroked the back of one of his hands with her thumb in an attempt to calm him of whatever troubles he was enduring. What his conflict was she could only imagine, but she was almost positive that it had to do with his past, as it always seemed to.

After a moments thought Keara came to a decision and turned around in his arms to gaze up at his face. His jaw was clenched, eye closed and brows knitted together in what looked like a mixture of anguish and confusion. She had been right to think this had something to do with his past, his face clearly displayed that to her now. With a weary smile she reached up and brushed the back of her fingers against the scared side of his face. The contact caused Chichiri to open his eye and look down at her with his forlorn expression.

It pained Keara to see him look so miserable, but she was not sure if she could heal the scars that remained on his heart and mind after so many years. Despite this thought however she did not pull away from him, nor did he from her. All she wanted to do at the moment was cheer the helpless man up, make him as jovial as he had been moments ago when chasing her. Pulling her gaze from his she watched as she brought her index finger to the corner of his sealed eye and proceeded to make a crescent like shape down the length of his cheek to the corner of his lips. From there she traced the top of his upper lip, then the bottom of the lower one only to stop half way and tap her finger against both his lips. It was an action that made the monk smile softly.

Keara raised her gaze to meet his and found her smile widening slightly at the fact that she had managed to take some of his anguish away. She only proceeded to tap him gently on the nose from there, having been unable to resist the urge. Just as last time he gave a reaction, but this one brought her hand into his and away from his face, his teeth showing partially through his smile.

Looking at her captured hand for a moment Keara grinned and looked back at the man who had captured it. Before he knew what happened her other hand was on his shoulder and they were moving about as if dancing to music that remained unheard. There was no way to stop it, Chichiri laughed merrily as they moved about the area.

After several minutes of this play, he brought the dance to a stop by simply wrapping his free arm around her waist firmly and spinning once in place, effectively taking her feet off the ground.

"I'm sorry," Chichiri uttered when her feet were back on the ground, "I must make you nervous with my mood changes."

'More like mood swings,' she thought with a smile.

"It's just-" as he tried to explain a finger on his lips cut him off. "Keara-" he spoke against her finger, attempting to get her to listen. The action was in vain however because she got out from his loosened grasp and disappeared behind him, apparently into his kesa due to the tug he received from it.

Chichiri smiled despite himself and undid the loop on his shoulder that held the cape in place. Upon its release he turned to face the one hiding in it, only to have darkness consume him when it was flung over his head. With a chuckle he pulled it off quickly only to see thin air. As he turned around to look for the elusive teenage girl he caught glimpse of her hair as she followed his movement and had to smile at her playfulness.

Reaching a hand behind him he was able to stop her from continuing on her path around him, giving him enough time to whirl around and lock both arms around her. "No where to go now," he chuckled.

Keara gave him a devilish look before promptly squeezing his side, causing him to twitch but not loosen his grasp. If anything the action had caused him to tighten it- not that she seemed to mind since she was laughing silently at him. With a toothy smile and a merry gleam in his eye the monk brought a hand up to her face. "You're something else Ke- my finger's aren't meant to be eaten!"

The sudden outburst was not without reason. Keara had been watching his fingers come closer to her face and had, rather childishly, caught his thumb gently between her teeth when it came too close to her mouth. At his outburst she clenched her teeth slightly harder together- not enough to cause harm, but enough to leave an imprint of her teeth on his skin- before letting it go.

A small smile played on Chichiri's lips for a brief moment as he removed his hand from her face and whipped the saliva now on his thumb off on his pants. The look quickly fell after that however. With a sigh he murmured something almost too softly for Keara to hear, but she managed to catch the six words uttered, "I'm afraid of losing you too."

Keara did the one thing that came to mind and that was to hug the man tightly. To an on looker it would have seemed like a friendly gesture between friends, but to Chichiri it meant more than any words could have. The action in itself seemingly told him that everything would be alright, that she was not afraid of taking the risks and, perhaps most importantly, that she cared about him as much as he cared about her.

The revelation was heart warming and mind easing, but not enough to make the worried side of him vanish. "Keara…"

At the sound of her name the girl rubbed her cheek against his chest, but did not look up. Chichiri took in a breath and said her name once more, only he received no response this time. With a frown the monk brought one hand up to her face and made her look up at him. "You could get hurt…"

Keara's face softened even more than it already had been as she shrugged her shoulders. It was as if she was saying 'I'm not worried about it.'

"What am I going to do with you?" Chichiri asked softly with a smile. Her only response was to blow air at him from between her smiling lips. The cool current brushed against his lips gently, as if to tempt him into answering his own question.

As if to comply with this temptation his body seemingly moved on its own violation, bringing the two of them ever closer. All thought of his past were pushed to the back of him mind as his heart took over, the quarrel between the two having been finished and a victor decided once and for all. His heart felt light and the almost forgotten feeling of butterfly's fluttered wildly within his stomach. Keara was gazing sweetly, he'd even go as far as to say lovingly, up at him and he knew his emotions were being openly displayed as well.

"Keara," he murmured gently, his lips scarcely touching hers as he spoke her name. Not a second later did their lips connecting in a soft and passionately sweet kiss within the waning light of the sunset.

Unbeknownst to the duo a set of eyes watched them with an evil glint shinning within them.

* * *

Awwwwwwwww XD

Hey, wait a second! Who's watching them! Uh oh!

Please review.

Thanks!


	25. Chapter 25

Hey all you living people. I'm back from the dead! I'm soooo sorry for taking this long to update. Second semester of college was utter hell with all the work I had to do. I'm being completely serious with you when I say I had NO free time. Even on weekends. For the entire semester I had two or three scattered Sundays where I had half a day to myself, but never more. And on those days all I wanted to do was sit back and relax. Plus I practically started work as soon as term ended (in the beginning of May), and I'm not home until nighttime. So I've been trying to sort my time out and fighting laziness when I do have off XP Not that easy. 

But I'm back and that's all that matters. I'm going to do my best to get this story done this summer (in terms of me writing it so I have it done for posting, I don't know when the final chapter will be up). I have this entire week off from work, so I'll have time to get a bunch of chapters done between all my stories (I hope, I also have to work of scholarship essays XP).

Anyway, thank you for all who reviewed. Yes I'm aware that I can reply to your reviews via email, but I don't want to spam anyone's box, so _please_ let me know if you're OK with me sending a reply.

Oh and please feel free to e-mail me if I don't update in two weeks. Chances are I either forgot (though this isn't likely, I'm rather aware of my stories) or need to get my lazy butt down in my chair and start typing and/or proof reading. Besides, people saying "hello, Earth to Erailea UPDATE YOUR FIC ALREADY" might just help XD

* * *

**Chapter 25**

Miaka blushed wildly as her stomach gave a very loud elephant like rumble. Mentally she scorned herself for always being hungry, but she really couldn't help the fact that she hadn't eaten since their late lunch four hours ago. She was starved!

The young man next to her merely chuckled softly. He knew full well what the noise meant. "We'll stop soon and have supper Miaka," he told her.

It was getting rather late. Already the sun was nearly gone from the sky. The lingering effects of the sunset were no less brilliant however and the light helped guide them as they continued on. Despite the view Tamahome could not help but allow his mind to wonder to his friends. They had been separated for some time now and it had been equally as long since they had seen any of the Seiryuu seshi, which meant only one thing – they were too occupied with those now behind him.

"I wonder how the others are doing," Miaka voice, as if she had read her love's mind.

Tamahome no more knew how to answer this than he knew how to cure her insatiable appetite, so he did the only thing he could - he made something up. "I'm sure they're fine." At least this is what he hoped. If Nakago was chasing his fellow seshi, as he suspected he was, there were bound to be more than a few problems back there.

His main concern however was Miaka. As a Suzaku seshi he was bound to her, he had to protect her at all costs, any of the others would agree with him. Beyond this fate of being a seshi though he cared for his miko like he had cared for no other, he truly loved her and would have done anything for her even if he no longer had his god given abilities.

vvvvv

It was as if the blazing sun had finally broken through to the frozen tundra's for the first time in countless eons. The vast fields of ice shattered and melted, bringing the crisp droplets of water down upon the awaiting soil and the life living underneath awaiting it's chance to sprout and grow.

This icy tundra had been Chichiri's only line of defense since the incident those years ago. In it he had buried his pains and emotions to the best of his ability, only to hide those still lurking about behind his mask. But since the arrival of a certain young woman this icy landscape had begun thawing and had now been completely set free of its entrapment.

However he only knew this in the back of this mind, for the rest of it was reeling far too fast to make any comprehensible thought pattern. All he knew at the moment were the soft pair of lips pressed affectionately against his own slightly chapped ones. And it was all he cared to know.

His arms tightened around the young woman in his arms, drawing her closer. He didn't want to let go. Ever. But ones body does not always comply with ones desire and the lack of air was a much more pressing matter than that that of upholding a kiss. Hesitantly he pulled away, half of him afraid that this was all just a crazy dream, but this chilling thought was quickly melted away when he felt Keara's gentle head come to rest under his chin. A faint smile graced his lips as he opened his eye.

By now the sun had fallen below the horizon, leaving the forest as dark as ever. The crickets chirped merrily about them and firefly's danced about in the air like the little fairies found in a children's tale. Overall the effect was quite peaceful despite it's first glace.

Sighing in content Chichiri shifted so his cheek came to rest upon the girl's head and he swayed back and forth gently on his feet. Everything seemed perfect, too much so in fact. There was something that wasn't quite right, but what it was evaded him for several moments as he continued to sway with Keara.

"The others," he mumbled after a while. He had completely forgotten about them for some reason. "We have to get back to camp," he softly said as he righted his head, "they must be wondering where we are."

Keara silently sighed and gave him a gentle pat on his back. What it was supposed to mean was lost to the monk – it could be her saying she agreed, didn't really want to let go (just as he felt), or reminding him of the fact that she couldn't go anywhere while he held her. In the end however, the meaning didn't really matter.

Just as he pulled back from her he noted that Keara tilted her head to the side and her brows came together in a questioning manner. Before he even had the chance to ask a pair of strong hands crashed down on his shoulders, nearly causing his knee's to buckle under the unexpected force.

"Chichiri ya sly devil," the unmistakable voice of the bandit leader cried much louder than necessary into his ears.

"Tasuki!" the helpless monk cried in surprise, having nearly fallen to the ground.

The bandit laughed as he removed his hands, "so this is what'cha two are doin' out here while I'm hunting."

A now blushing Chichiri smiled nervously as he turned to confront his friend. He had completely forgotten his comrade had been hunting for their supper. What an embarrassing mistake!

"Can't leave you two alone for long can I," Tasuki teased, enjoying the sight of their embarrassment, though he would have enjoyed it even more if he could have see the crisp red tinges on both their cheeks.

Keara brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face, purposefully sliding her child fingers over her hot cheeks. She felt almost like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar, but instead of being scolded for her actions she was being teased.

"You guys are out here having fun…" the rest of the bandit's teasing was lost to Keara as a soft rustling from a bush behind her caught her attention. Turning towards the noise curiously she peered through the darkness and scarcely saw the bush whose leaves and limbs were scratching against one another.

"Somethin' wrong Keara?" Tasuki asked, having seen the girl change her attention from his antics to something else.

The young woman merely pointed at the subject of her interest. Not a moment later she heard Tasuki take out his tessen and felt a gentle hand loop around her arm and pull her backwards. Whatever was in the bush none of them knew, but they had had far too many encounters with the Seiryuu seshi take any chances.

Chichiri carefully pulled Keara behind him and removed his staff from a void he had summoned in his kesa. At the same time the bandit began taking cautious steps towards the bush. The last thing any of them wanted was to be zapped by Soi or lanced with Suboshi's deadly yoyo, so caution was of the utmost importance.

"Stay behind me," the monk whispered to Keara. He would be damned if he let anyone hurt her, especially now that his emotions had been sorted out.

Tasuki was only a few paces from the bush by this point, his tessen clasped in an iron grip. He was ready for anything. He would gladly take on any of the Seiryuu, he was itching to burn them to a crisp anyway.

Just as he stepped in front of the bush the rustling stopped. Suspiciously the bandit put his free hand out and was about to pull some of the limbs to the side when something rushed out at him. Instinctively he jumped back and raised his tessen, expecting to come face to face with an opposing seshi.

And it turned out that the culprit in the bush was none other than… a long eared, fuzzy tailed, brown spotted creature.

"Rabbit!" the bandit yelled and lunged after the would-be meal, but it hopped away as fast as its large feet could take it before it could be captured. Unfortunately for the creature the hungry bandit leader wasn't about to let a good meal get away and had to hope it could out wit the wily man.

Chichiri sighed in relief. At least it hadn't been a Seiryuu, but silently he knew they had gotten lucky. Soi was far to enraged with Keara by now to just let her, or any of them, off with any ease.

As he turned towards Keara he removed a spare mask from inside his shirt and placed it onto his face. "Let's get back to the camp no da. Tasuki can take care of it from here na no da."

'Sounds good to me,' Keara thought as she nodded, silently chuckling at his reverting back to the childish 'no da.' Things would be different from now on, this much she knew, but at least it would be different in a good sort of way.

With fingers intertwined and a soft smile shared between them they made their way back to the campsite.

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And that's all folks. For now anyway. I'll do my absolute best get another update here in two weeks. 

Please Review (oh how I love them -cheers happily- )

Thanks!


	26. Chapter 26

I don't own Fushigi Yuugi

Hey everyone, I'm back. It's a bit over two weeks, but this chapter has gone through three or four revisions. Lol. Every time I reread it I'm changing something (which is why it wasn't up yesterday. I was working on it so late I just gave up and went to bed at 1am). Today it would have been up three or four hours ago, but I went through my last revision and added about two pages to it (and a new ending I hope all of you will love). So instead of being four pages long, this chapter is six! Yey!

Thanks to all who reviewed. I replied to those who gave me permission, so if you forgot and want me to reply to yours just let me know in your next review.

Enjoy!

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**Chapter 26 **

Black of night gave way to the colors of dawn as the sun began to rise for yet another eventful day. Even so, all was silent at the small campsite of the Suzaku seshi as they slept through the sun's usual morning display. Not even the fire gave a crackle as it lay in its hearth, embers hiding under what remained of the wood upon its breast.

A gentle breeze brushed through the trees, rustling their leaves and even sending a few cadets on their journey to the grassy ground below. Accompanying them were a few scattered acorns and pinecones that fell to the padded ground much less gracefully.

It was during this time that creatures of the night were quickly padding back to their homes for a good day's rest and the creatures of the day awoke from their nightly slumber. Humans were one of these day creatures to come about, as portrayed when Keara's foot twitched.

The young girl took in a deep breath through her nose before stretching out her legs where she lay, all the while contemplating whether she wanted to greet the day or not. In the end she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she let out a small yawn.

'Why can't mornings start later?' Keara complained to herself. Half of her wanted nothing more than to go fade back into a pleasant slumber, but the other half of her was awake and ready to continue on their trek.

With another yawn young girl pulled Chichiri's kesa off of her lap and folded it neatly. The action would not amount to much. The monk was going to unfold it when he awoke after all, but it was something simple to do and didn't require her mind to be fully alert.

Upon finishing she placed cloth down on the grass beside her, giving it a soft pat and a small smile. Her gaze was then brought slightly upward, only to lay upon the familiar figure of a certain blue haired monk a few short feet away. His hands rest softly upon his upon his stomach as it slowly rose and fell in his slumber and his bangs, which normally rose skyward, lay lax against his masked face. Over all he seemed at peace with himself, though with his mask firmly in place she could not be sure and she dare not risk awakening him by removing it simply to answer to her own curiosity.

Turning her gaze back in front of her she found herself having to stifle yet another yawn that wished to escape her. With a shake of her head she urged herself to completely wake. All the action ended up doing however was further ruffle her already tangled hair. Frowning to herself Keara attempted to run her fingers through the mess that was her hair, only to have them stopped almost as soon as they had entered.

'How rude,' she silently scolded her hair, as if it were its fault for being tangled. 'This is just punishment for not tying you back last night isn't it.' Removing her hand she decided to let it be for the moment, not wanting to deal with it just yet and crawled over to the fire.

After a moment of studying it she gently dropped a few pieces of fresh wood upon the hiding embers. Bits of ash flew into the air, but not enough to cause the teen to worry. Next she grabbed a stick and shifted the already charred wood about so the fire could reach up to the fresh wood above it.

Soon the fire was crackling merrily with life as it came out of its hiding place to eat its tasty breakfast. In exchange for its hearty meal the fire spread warmth up Keara's outstretched hands and arms.

Keara snapped her head to the side upon hearing a rustle in a bush to her left. With narrowed eyes she looked for the cause of the noise, all the while wondering if it was just another rabbit, as it had been the night before. If it was in fact a simple hare it made no move to come out nor did it stop rustling the bush in which it laid, something that made the girl more than a little curious.

'Better scare the silly critter off before Tasuki wakes up and eats it for breakfast,' she thought as she stood and strolled over to the noisemaker of a bush.

For years she had relied on both skill and instinct to do well in gymnastics and she seldom ignored the warnings they gave her. Now was no different. When the hair on the back of her neck stood on end her instincts jolted into action and she did not question the sudden urge to duck for cover.

The action inevitably saved her life.

Not a split second after she had fallen to the ground an intense heat raced above her, level to where he chest had formally been, and was quickly followed by a roar of what could only be thunder. In an instant the once slumbering Suzaku seshi were on their feet looking around for the only one they could think of who was capable to create both thunder and lightning on a clear and sunny day – Soi. She was not the only one they were looking for though - Suboshi had been traveling with the moody seshi and was bound to be around as well, the question was where.

"Keara, are you alright?" Chichiri voiced worriedly as he quickly made his way to the frightened and baffled young woman whom was slowly climbing to her feet. He had only managed to take a few short steps however before his body seized up in an electrical paralysis, causing his to cry out in pain.

"Chichiri!" Chiriko nearly shrieked.

A single look was all Keara needed to make herself move. Chichiri was crouched on the ground, his mask scrunched up on his face as he grimaced with the pain caused the electricity that bound him. Her movements proved to do little more than the monks had, as she did not get far before coming to a halt. The only difference was she was stopped by a sharp tug upon her wrist.

In a very ungraceful manner Keara fell onto her backside, cringing when she made contact. 'Ow,' she mentally groaned as she placed her free hand on her lower back. Looking down at the hand which had caused her to fall she spotted the string of Suboshi's yoyo, answering any questions that had formed in her mind.

"Oy, leave 'er alone," Tasuki yelled as he raised his fan high above his head. "Rekka sh-" the final syllable was lost as the bandit was forced to jump back to evade an incoming lightning bolt.

"I've had enough of you Suzaku brats," Soi voiced cried out from within the trees before she jumped down.

"I could be sayin' the same 'bout you good for nothing Seiryuu," Tasuki bellowed back.

Keara frowned to herself, feeling the same way as the bandit did. Scrunching up her face she tried to figure a way out of her current predicament. If she tried to get away there was no doubt the boy on the other end of the string would stop her with little effort. Only one option seemed open to her. Somehow she was going to have to deceive him in order to free herself.

'Only one thing I can do I suppose,' she thought after a moment's contemplation. Slowly so as to not grab the attention of the lightning seshi, who was currently trying to assault the bandit leader, she curled her fingers around a nice sized rock at her side.

'Of course this is going to be a lot more difficult than it should,' she mentally groaned at the fact that her good hand was the one held captive. All that was left was to hope her aim was true.

Unfortunately her captor had other ideas. Before she even had a chance to raise the rock off the ground there was a sharp tug on her captured wrist, nearly causing her to fall flat onto the ground. "That wouldn't be very wise," the Seiryuu boy spoke up as he came out of hiding. "Soi's already angry with you, I wouldn't make it worse if I were you."

Keara's eyes narrowed, 'who said I was going to throw it at her.'

"Get up," Suboshi commanded. When she refused he grabbed her free arm and harshly  
pulled on her, but she still refused to do as he said. "Get up!"

"Keara!" Chiriko cried as he took notice of the enemy boy. The small boy felt as helpless as ever, he wasn't meant to fight but he wanted to help his friend.

Mitsukake placed a hand on the boys shoulder almost as if to prevent him from doing something reckless. The small pink haired boy gazed up at the healer in a pleading manner, but the look quickly vanished as the older man motioned with his head towards Suboshi. Behind the Seiryuu boy lurked a small but unrelenting predator – Tama. The cat lay close to the ground, ears flat against his head and gaze locked on the enemy child.

"For the last time get u- AH!" Suboshi cut himself off as set of sharp teeth and claws dug deep into his leg.

In the short span of time Tama had given them both Mitsukake and Chiriko raced over to aid Keara. The healer pulled a small knife he used to cooking out from its hiding place and sliced the yoyo string, allowing Chiriko to quickly fumble and remove the remaining piece still tied around her wrist.

Clasping her hand around her bruised and slightly bloody wrist Keara haste fully got to her feet. Tama had bought them as much time as he could and had darted off by that time, leaving behind a very angry Seiryuu seshi. Immediately the boy forgot about the cat and turned to glare daggers at the freed girl. He didn't even seem to notice the fact that his deadly weapon was now in two pieces, but Keara doubted it would have mattered, not with how angry he was.

Not wanting things to get any worse Keara quickly raised her hands up to chest level in a gesture to try and calm him. Neither of the two seshi with her were meant to fight and neither was she. If things continued to get too out of control there would be a huge problem on their hands.

"Suboshi!" Soi yelled, leaving an unsaid command to follow his name. Without another word the Seiryuu boy pulled on his deadly toy and threw it in Keara's direction.

Mitsukake quickly grabbed Chiriko and moved him out of the way, not wanting to risk his safety should the brunette boy have bad aim in his angered state. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, his aim had been true, leaving Keara to make a quick muscle-pulling maneuver in the form of a full split to evade being harmed. Normally such a movement wouldn't trouble, but due to the lack of stretching her muscles weren't ready for the strain she put on them.

The yoyo was not done with its course however and as it made it's way back to its owner it swung downwards, back towards Keara. Had her mind not been expecting such an action she would not have been able to shift and make a dived roll forward in time to evade being killed. As it was the deadly ball skimmed the middle of her back, cutting the material of her shirt and giving her a deep enough wound to bleed.

"Rekka shien!" Tasuki cried from somewhere behind her, unleashing a jettison of flame towards the lightning seshi, who jumped to the side in an attempt to evade it.

"Damn it," Soi cursed, clutching her slightly burned arm. The agile bandit was slowly getting the best of her. With a final curse and a thrown lightning bolt, which missed, she darted off. Even though she did not want to admit it, continuing the fight would only prove unfavorable on her behalf. She would just have to get her revenge another day.

Suboshi growled as his yoyo came back into his hands. There was no way he was going to stay and fight by himself, but at the same time he did not want to give up so easily. He knew he could get his hands on Keara if he only had a bit more time. His decision was made for him however when Tasuki turned to come after him and Chichiri came free of his electrical binding. So, without so much as a word, he ran off into the forest with no intention of coming back without Soi.

"Oy, get back here you coward!" the bandit leader yelled after him.

"Let him go Tasuki," Chichiri quietly said as he slowly picked himself up off the ground, his body trembling from the electricity that had previously encircled him. "We're bound cross paths with them again."

Knowing his friend was right the bandit leader bitterly mumbled something about the Seiryuu as he put his tessen away. His clothing was singed and some of his hair stuck out in strange places from lightning that had come to close, but otherwise he was in perfect health.

"Are you alright Chichiri?" Mitsukake watched the monk as he came to stand unsteadily on his feet. The man in question took a moment to find his balance before nodding.

Tasuki held out a hand to Keara and helped her up off the ground. "What happened to your wrist?" he asked having finally taken notice to the injury.

The girl shook her head to tell the bandit not to worry about it. The wound, while it still bleed in a steady flow, was not something to be overly concerned about, it just needed to be treated and wrapped so infection would not set in. Never the less Mitsukake wouldn't take any chances on the injury being worse than she made it seem to be and healed her of all her wounds, even her pulled muscles.

All Chichiri could do was watch from where he stood. He had been very concerned when Tasuki had brought up the matter of Keara's wrist, but when he had attempted to move he once again become unsteady and had nearly toppled over.

Keara mouthed a thank you to the healer, who nodded in return and said a soft, "you're welcome."

Her gaze then fell upon Chichiri who looked rather uneasy, even with his mask in place. With a worried look she walked towards him while making a gesture that stood for 'are you alright' – one hand flat to the sky at chest level and the other one arced from her lips (pointer finger nearest to face) to her open hand.

The monk thought a moment. He didn't want to lie to her, but at the same time he didn't want her to worry. So instead he tried to act as if everything was alright by taking a step forward. Unfortunately his legs still weren't ready to balance his full weight on only one-foot and he couldn't catch himself in time to prevent himself from falling.

His expectations of hitting the ground were faulted however when he collided with someone, who lost in turn their balance and took the impact with the ground for him. In less than a moment he knew exactly who he had fallen up – the fact the their chest wasn't flat against his was the key factor in his justification.

Placing his shaky hands on the ground Chichiri pulled himself up enough to look Keara in the face. The first thing he noticed was the sharp blush that played on her face and he didn't need to question why. Not only had he landed on top of her, he had landed in a rather undignified position – between her legs.

Tasuki burst into laughter at the sight of the two of them and nearly fell over with the force that rubbled through his chest. He was the only one in the group that knew of the newly formed relationship between the monk and gymnast, which made the situation even funnier for him and more embarrassing for them.

"Gomen no da," Chichiri murmured softly. He was more than grateful that his mask was in place, knowing that his own heavy blush would have probably caused the bandit to die from laughter.

There was one problem he had left deal with however. With his body still not functioning properly he had no idea how he was going to pull himself off of her.

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OMG! Chichiri! XD

I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) I needed a bit of action, as I'm sure some of your did too, but I couldn't help but add some fluffy-ness too XD

Remember to let me know if you want me to reply to your reviews (if you haven't told me already).

Please review.

Thank you!


	27. Chapter 27

I don't own FY 

I'm back, a week late, but I started school again on Monday and I had to find time (and be in the right sort of mood for typing) to get this prepared. I'm feeling better than I did when I updated _Cry of the Gods_, but I'm still trying to settle in (see the last two paragraphs of my bio – they're sort).

Thank you everyone who reviewed! I hope I didn't miss replying to anyone, I did it quickly before I left home two weeks ago.

I just want to warn you that updates might be a bit slower from here on. I didn't get as far as I wanted to on the story by now and school is more important. I'll do my absolute best to keep on top of them!

vvvv

Chapter 27 

Chichiri sat red in the face before the blazing fire. His mask was uncomfortably warm upon his face and it was not because of the flames in front of him, a reason for which he refused to remove it. All he could do was hope his body would recover quickly from the electrical paralysis so everyone could put their minds back on their traveling and not on the morning's events.

He wasn't so fortunate however. His body had not changed in the slightest since his collapse onto Keara some twenty minutes ago. He was fortunate though to have a friend such as Mitsukake who, unlike Tasuki, had not been locked within a laughing fit and helped him out of his predicament – or rather, off of his predicament.

The whole occurrence was beyond embarrassing for both of them. So much so that neither had spoken to the other since - be it in words or gestures. Tasuki however was having no problem snickering at random intervals when he looked up at either of them.

"Feeling any better Chichiri?" Chiriko asked without warning.

The monk raised a hand from his lap and gazed upon it. No matter how hard he tried the limb still trembled. "Afraid not no da."

"It could remain that way for several hours," Mitsukake warned as he pulled himself up off the ground. "I suggest we find a herb to hasten your recovery."

"What does it look like?" the child of the group asked.

"The leaves on a white tipped purple flower are what we need."

Nodding the small boy climbed to his feet. "Tasuki come help us, another set of eyes might help in finding it faster."

Keara made a gesture to ask if they wanted her to come help – right hand in a soft fist resting on her outstretched palm of her left hand was raised up and away from her chest then downwards in an arc while she raised her brows – but Tasuki only chuckled. "No, we need someone ta baby-sit Chichiri."

"I don't need baby-sitting no da!"

With a soft smile Mitsukake decided to step in, "It would be best to not leave you alone in your current state Chichiri. Should anything happen at least Keara will be here to help."

"Just don' fall on her again," the bandit teased, "I don' think she could handle it."

"Tasuki!" cried the embarrassed monk.

Laughing loudly the bandit leader darted off into the woods with Mitsukake and Chiriko following not far behind. Keara's previously vanishing blush came back in full force and Chichiri's own darkened beneath his mask. Somehow he knew Tasuki would not let him live the accident down anytime soon.

Quietly they sat before the fire, still too embarrassed to confront the other, even on matters that didn't relate to their little incident. Instead they kept their gazes on the dancing flames, but occasionally one would look over to the other, only to look away when their eyes met one another.

This is how they sat for several moments. Each was trying to figure out what to say or do. Chichiri took in a deep breath and looped his fingers together, frowning as his body continued to ignore his will to be steady. Sighing he turned his gaze once more to the mute girl who sat some ways away, only to find her looking through her bag for something.

A faint smile played upon his lips as she pulled out the little trinket she had been playing with several days before. It had been on that day that something extremely strange had become of the girl and had somehow defeated Nakago. No one knew how however.

"How's your pet?" he asked softly, breaking the silence between them. For the life of him he couldn't remember the gadgets name. It was a Tama-whatchamacallit…

Keara looked up half startled by his voice. It took her a moment to process what he had said before she answered with the simple shake of her head. The little critter had died some time ago and was only a floating angle like creature upon the screen, but she wasn't concerned. In all honesty she had only pulled it out in hopes of it helping to calm her nerves. Not that it was working.

"Keara," Chichiri timidly began, "sorry for – earlier."

The teenage girl put her face in her hands as the embarrassing ordeal was once again played through her mind. Her action weren't taken as a simple means to hide by Chichiri however. It made him believe she was upset with him and, possibly, did not want to be around him anymore, something that pained his heart.

In an instant he was in his super deformed self, flailing his arms about madly. "Please forgive me Keara no da." He attempted to run over to her, but only managed a few frantic steps before falling flat onto the ground.

Keara was quickly in motion, crawling to where the now normal sized monk lay. She knew in the back of her mind that he was all right, but that didn't stop her from worrying about his well being. He was struggling to right himself when she wrapped an arm around his chest and helped him into a sitting position.

"Arigato no da," his voice was so soft it was almost a whisper.

A pat to the top of his head brought his gaze up into his helper's eyes. She was smiling softly at him, blush still clinging to her cheeks. He now felt his own blush more than he had before as he looked upon her. His emotions were not foreign to him, but he had not felt them so intensely in what seemed liked ages.

Silently she trailed her hand downward, running the tips of her fingers lightly over his mask until she reached the top of his jawbone. She lingered there for a moment, but before she had the chance to shift them his shaky hand was gingerly placed over her own. His hands were slightly course against her, not that she took much heed of it.

After a moments hesitation he curled his fingers inward, gently forcing hers to do the same, catching the edge of his mask as they did so. Slowly it slipped away from his face and floated to the ground below as if it was but a leaf.

Beneath was his soft face with red still clinging to his cheeks. His amber eye locked upon her blue-gray ones. The world disappear from around them as all their focus rest on each other. Even time seemed to slow, despite their hearts racing onward.

His hand lingered upon hers for a brief moment longer before he brought them forward to place butterfly kisses upon each of her fingertips. The sensation of his lips teasing her skin caused her blush to deepen and her smile to widen. The fact his hand was still shaky was lost to her mind. All it knew was the feather touch of his lips upon her flesh.

With all five of her fingers were accounted for he gently pushed their hands off to the side, eyes still locked on one another. A moment's pause passed between them before Chichiri slowly edged forward. Inch by inch the gap between them closed, their eyes sliding closed when the last few centimeters were coming to a close. Their delicate lips slowly came in contact with one another-

"Boo."

The two of them flew apart in the bat of an eye.

It was a word often used by children when they wanted to try and frighten someone and despite the fact that neither Keara nor Chichiri were children both had been greatly startled. The word had not even been shouted. It had been said in a normal tone of voice, if not slightly quieter. Their fright had been caused simply because neither had expected an interruption.

Both brought their gaze upon the one who nearly gave them a heart attack. "Tasuki!" The poor monk was redder and more flustered than imaginable as he attempted to right himself, having lost his balance when he had retracted.

The bandit leader laughed merrily. He had succeeded in frightening them and he was very proud of himself for it. Teasing the newly made couple was highly entertaining to him and he was going to take any chance he had to embarrass them.

Grabbing hold of his blue hair friend's arm he helped him back up into a sitting position. "Look what I found," he held up the plant Mitsukake had described not long ago.

Chichiri groaned loudly. 'He just had to find it so quickly,' he thought as he picked up his mask and dusted it off before placed it on his face. "Great," the comment was mumbled and could have been called sarcastic. For once he wished things hadn't been so hastened.

"At least with this ya can kiss her without bein' sloppy about it."

Keara fell onto her side and hid her head in her arms, as if she expected them to shield her from further embarrassment. She could only hope Mitsukake would return soon and that Tasuki had not told them of their relationship, as it might incite more teasing.

Vvv

Not much action, but for those who love fluff I hope you enjoyed. Thankfully I had this written up before school started so I wasn't all depressed, so it's a happy chapter. Lol.

Darn that Tasuki!

Please review

Thanks.


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